Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Matthews, NC (2026)

Matthews, North Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $2,792 to $57,780 per year for indexed programs. Matthews has a population of about 29,959. Median household income is $105,579 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $157,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Matthews

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Matthews

Matthews is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina 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.

Matthews at a Glance

Other Matthews-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Indian Trail, NC – 5.0 mi away (38,222 pop)
• Mint Hill, NC – 5.1 mi away (26,236 pop)
• Charlotte, NC – 9.2 mi away (1,438,351 pop)
• Monroe, NC – 11.6 mi away (34,818 pop)
• Concord, NC – 19.4 mi away (244,273 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Matthews. The closest is Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC (9.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Belmont Abbey College (20.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Matthews are: Attorney ($157,180), Information Security Analyst ($131,440), Police Supervisor ($107,150). 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 Indian Trail instead of Matthews?

Indian Trail, NC is 5.0 miles from Matthews 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 Matthews an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Matthews’s median household income of $105,579 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Matthews 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

• 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 North Carolina
• Criminal Justice programs by state

Other Programs Available in Matthews

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

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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.