Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Hastings, NE (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Hastings, Nebraska has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Hastings has a population of about 25,005. Median household income is $61,202 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Nebraska, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $208,180 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Hastings

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Hastings, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hastings city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Hastings. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Kearney, NE 37.7 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,105
Avg net price $16,242/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

York University

York, NE 46.6 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,130
Avg net price $20,951/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Concordia University-Nebraska

Seward, NE 71.7 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,415
Avg net price $23,965/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Lincoln, NE 89.9 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
69.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,887
Avg net price $17,747/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 155

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE 92.9 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,405
Avg net price $18,327/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Midland University

Fremont, NE 115.0 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,163
Avg net price $26,267/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Omaha, NE 132.6 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,909
Avg net price $13,441/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Wayne State College

Wayne, NE 134.2 miles from Hastings
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,075
Avg net price $15,360/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Nebraska schools on the Nebraska criminal justice page.

Criminal Justice Wages Near Hastings

Occupation Median Annual Wage (Nebraska, statewide)
Attorney $109,170
Judge or Magistrate $208,180
Police Supervisor $106,100
Detective or Criminal Investigator $100,530
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $74,620
Correctional Officer $63,380
Probation Officer $63,460
Forensic Science Technician $65,920
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $63,250
Information Security Analyst $92,550

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Hastings at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,005 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,202 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 28.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Hastings-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Hastings, NE?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Hastings. The closest is Central Community College in Grand Island, NE (20.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Doane University (75.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles in Nebraska?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles in Nebraska are: Judge or Magistrate ($208,180), Attorney ($109,170), Police Supervisor ($106,100). Wages for Hastings workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Grand Island instead of Hastings?

Grand Island, NE is 22.5 miles from Hastings and has its own set of local criminal justice programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Hastings an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Hastings’s median household income of $61,202 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hastings while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Nebraska public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Criminal Justice Programs

Other Programs Available in Hastings

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Hastings:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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