Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Bismarck, ND (2026)

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

Bismarck, North Dakota has 4 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,010 to $14,309 per year for indexed programs. Bismarck has a population of about 74,146. Median household income is $77,608 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In North Dakota, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $171,100 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Bismarck

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

Bismarck State College

Bismarck, ND 2.3 miles from Bismarck
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,277
Avg net price $10,270/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

United Tribes Technical College

Bismarck, ND 3.2 miles from Bismarck
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $25,292
Avg net price $3,569/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,632
Out‑of‑state$4,632
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Mary

Bismarck, ND 6.2 miles from Bismarck
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,909
Avg net price $17,770/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Bismarck

Bismarck is part of the Bismarck, ND metro area (BLS area code 13900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Dakota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $109,010 Bismarck, ND $119,791
Judge or Magistrate $171,100 ND statewide $188,022
Police Supervisor $98,300 Bismarck, ND $108,022
Detective or Criminal Investigator $64,640 Bismarck, ND $71,033
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $63,230 Bismarck, ND $69,484
Correctional Officer $51,130 Bismarck, ND $56,187
Probation Officer $67,460 Bismarck, ND $74,132
Forensic Science Technician $63,360 Bismarck, ND $69,626
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $60,110 Bismarck, ND $66,055
Information Security Analyst $116,920 Bismarck, ND $128,484

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.

Bismarck at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 74,146 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,608 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Bismarck-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Bismarck, ND?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Bismarck. The closest is Bismarck State College in Bismarck, ND (2.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sitting Bull College (50.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Bismarck are: Judge or Magistrate ($171,100), Information Security Analyst ($116,920), Attorney ($109,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Dakota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Mandan instead of Bismarck?

Mandan, ND is 5.5 miles from Bismarck 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 Bismarck an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Bismarck’s median household income of $77,608 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bismarck while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Dakota 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 Bismarck

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

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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