Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Garfield Heights, OH (2026)

Garfield Heights, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Garfield Heights has a population of about 29,369. Median household income is $52,006 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $134,680 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Garfield Heights

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

#1

Lakewood University

Cleveland Heights, OH 7.9 miles from Garfield Heights
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bryant & Stratton College-Parma

Parma, OH 9.3 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 18.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,568
Avg net price $12,849/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 12.9 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 58.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 23.0 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 53.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 23.7 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kent State University at Geauga

Burton, OH 24.3 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 43.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $12,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lorain County Community College

Elyria, OH 24.3 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 58.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,837
Avg net price $3,967/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lake Erie College

Painesville, OH 27.5 miles from Garfield Heights BOC Score 39.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,417
Avg net price $20,961/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Garfield Heights

Garfield Heights is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$134,680Cleveland, OH$143,429
Judge or Magistrate$80,020Cleveland, OH$85,218
Police Supervisor$101,190Cleveland, OH$107,764
Detective or Criminal Investigator$89,300Cleveland, OH$95,101
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$80,280Cleveland, OH$85,495
Correctional Officer$59,370Cleveland, OH$63,227
Probation Officer$61,120Cleveland, OH$65,091
Forensic Science TechnicianN/AOH statewide
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$60,960Cleveland, OH$64,920
Information Security Analyst$105,890Cleveland, OH$112,769

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.


Garfield Heights at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,369Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,006Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Garfield Heights-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Garfield Heights, OH?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Garfield Heights 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 Garfield Heights?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Garfield Heights are: Attorney ($134,680), Information Security Analyst ($105,890), Police Supervisor ($101,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Maple Heights instead of Garfield Heights?

Maple Heights, OH is 2.3 miles from Garfield Heights 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 Garfield Heights an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Garfield Heights’s median household income of $52,006 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Garfield Heights while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Garfield Heights

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

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.