Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Clayton, NC (2026)

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

Clayton, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $2,756 to $11,230 per year for indexed programs. Clayton has a population of about 28,043. Median household income is $73,348 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $143,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Clayton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Clayton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Clayton 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 Clayton. 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

Saint Augustine's University

Raleigh, NC 13.1 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,730
Avg net price $24,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Shaw University

Raleigh, NC 13.2 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,409
Avg net price $16,512/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Meredith College

Raleigh, NC 16.7 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,539
Avg net price $22,488/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Campbell University

Buies Creek, NC 23.8 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,886
Avg net price $24,516/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Barton College

Wilson, NC 30.4 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,913
Avg net price $23,626/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

North Carolina Central University

Durham, NC 33.4 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,968
Avg net price $15,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 37.7 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Methodist University

Fayetteville, NC 43.5 miles from Clayton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,050
Avg net price $24,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Clayton

Clayton is part of the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (BLS area code 39580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $131,920 Raleigh-Cary, NC $134,338
Judge or Magistrate N/A NC statewide –
Police Supervisor $102,610 Raleigh-Cary, NC $104,491
Detective or Criminal Investigator $77,210 Raleigh-Cary, NC $78,625
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $65,860 Raleigh-Cary, NC $67,067
Correctional Officer $54,070 Raleigh-Cary, NC $55,061
Probation Officer $65,490 Raleigh-Cary, NC $66,690
Forensic Science Technician $62,790 Raleigh-Cary, NC $63,941
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $61,880 Raleigh-Cary, NC $63,014
Information Security Analyst $143,640 Raleigh-Cary, NC $146,273

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.

Clayton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 28,043 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $73,348 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 35.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Clayton-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Clayton, NC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Clayton. The closest is Johnston Community College in Smithfield, NC (12.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Meredith College (16.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Clayton are: Information Security Analyst ($143,640), Attorney ($131,920), Police Supervisor ($102,610). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Garner instead of Clayton?

Garner, NC is 10.0 miles from Clayton 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 Clayton an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Clayton’s median household income of $73,348 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clayton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Clayton

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

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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