Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Princeton, NJ (2026)

Princeton, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Princeton has a population of about 30,451. Median household income is $184,113 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 84.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $204,160 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Princeton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Princeton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Princeton 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 Princeton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Rider University

Lawrenceville, NJ 4.6 miles from Princeton BOC Score 64.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,208
Avg net price $24,792/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, NJ 8.2 miles from Princeton BOC Score 77.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,323
Avg net price $27,646/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Thomas Edison State University

Trenton, NJ 10.7 miles from Princeton BOC Score 56.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,331
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ 15.3 miles from Princeton BOC Score 79.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $24,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Strayer University-New Jersey

Piscataway, NJ 17.0 miles from Princeton BOC Score 18.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Georgian Court University

Lakewood, NJ 29.4 miles from Princeton BOC Score 62.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 79%
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,096
Avg net price $19,285/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,260
Out‑of‑state$37,260
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Kean University

Union, NJ 31.9 miles from Princeton BOC Score 65.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,237
Avg net price $12,447/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Saint Elizabeth University

Morristown, NJ 32.0 miles from Princeton BOC Score 52.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,038
Avg net price $23,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Princeton

Princeton is part of the Trenton-Princeton, NJ metro area (BLS area code 45940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$138,760Trenton-Princeton, NJ$134,457
Judge or Magistrate$204,160Trenton-Princeton, NJ$197,829
Police Supervisor$132,610Trenton-Princeton, NJ$128,498
Detective or Criminal Investigator$110,750Trenton-Princeton, NJ$107,316
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$69,160Trenton-Princeton, NJ$67,016
Correctional Officer$94,770NJ statewide$91,831
Probation Officer$80,610Trenton-Princeton, NJ$78,110
Forensic Science Technician$63,220NJ statewide$61,260
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$73,250Trenton-Princeton, NJ$70,979
Information Security Analyst$129,540Trenton-Princeton, NJ$125,523

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.


Princeton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,451Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$184,113Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+84.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Princeton-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Princeton, NJ?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Princeton are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Princeton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Princeton are: Judge or Magistrate ($204,160), Attorney ($138,760), Police Supervisor ($132,610). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Trenton instead of Princeton?

Trenton, NJ is 10.4 miles from Princeton 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 Princeton an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Princeton’s median household income of $184,113 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Princeton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Princeton

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.