Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Hazleton, PA (2026)

Hazleton, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $6,450 to $15,810 per year for indexed programs. Hazleton has a population of about 29,886. Median household income is $43,379 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $110,580 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Hazleton

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

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 Hazleton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton

Hazleton, PA 0.4 miles from Hazleton BOC Score39.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Luzerne County Community College

Nanticoke, PA 16.9 miles from Hazleton BOC Score43.0
Published tuition$6,450 - $15,810
Online programsYes

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#3

King's College

Wilkes-Barre, PA 21.3 miles from Hazleton BOC Score58.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Schuylkill

Schuylkill Haven, PA 24.4 miles from Hazleton BOC Score40.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 25.4 miles from Hazleton BOC Score56.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Hazleton

Hazleton is part of the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA metro area (BLS area code 42540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$100,420Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$107,286
Judge or Magistrate$110,580PA statewide$118,141
Police Supervisor$91,730Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$98,002
Detective or Criminal Investigator$81,500Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$87,073
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$72,210Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$77,147
Correctional Officer$61,800Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$66,026
Probation Officer$61,710Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$65,929
Forensic Science Technician$61,580PA statewide$65,791
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$57,600Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$61,538
Information Security Analyst$100,210Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA$107,062

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.


Hazleton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population29,886Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,379Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+11.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hazleton-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Hazleton, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Hazleton. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton in Hazleton, PA (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (25.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Hazleton are: Judge or Magistrate ($110,580), Attorney ($100,420), Information Security Analyst ($100,210). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wilkes-Barre instead of Hazleton?

Wilkes-Barre, PA is 21.1 miles from Hazleton 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 Hazleton an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Hazleton’s median household income of $43,379 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hazleton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Hazleton

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

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.