Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in South Plainfield, NJ (2026)

South Plainfield, New Jersey has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. South Plainfield has a population of about 24,231. Median household income is $126,063 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $208,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to South Plainfield

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near South Plainfield. Distances are calculated from South Plainfield city center.

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near South Plainfield

South Plainfield is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

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.

South Plainfield at a Glance

Other South Plainfield-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Plainfield, NJ – 2.8 mi away (50,636 pop)
• North Plainfield, NJ – 3.4 mi away (22,073 pop)
• New Brunswick, NJ – 6.3 mi away (56,910 pop)
• Westfield, NJ – 6.5 mi away (30,206 pop)
• Rahway, NJ – 7.4 mi away (29,451 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near South Plainfield, NJ?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near South Plainfield. The closest is Strayer University-New Jersey in Piscataway, NJ (3.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kean University (11.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near South Plainfield?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near South Plainfield are: Attorney ($208,880), Judge or Magistrate ($204,160), Information Security Analyst ($140,470). 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 Plainfield instead of South Plainfield?

Plainfield, NJ is 2.8 miles from South Plainfield 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 South Plainfield an affordable place to study criminal justice?

South Plainfield’s median household income of $126,063 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Plainfield 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

• Criminal Justice accreditation: what to look for
• Criminal Justice concentrations and specializations
• Is a Criminal Justice degree worth it?
• Main Criminal Justice degree guide
• Online Criminal Justice programs in New Jersey
• Criminal Justice programs by state

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Data verified: June 11, 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.