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

Monessen, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Monessen has a population of about 6,825. Median household income is $51,094 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $133,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Monessen

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Monessen. Distances are calculated from Monessen 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 Monessen. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA 6.0 miles from Monessen BOC Score45.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Greater Allegheny

McKeesport, PA 13.6 miles from Monessen BOC Score41.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#3

Westmoreland County Community College

Youngwood, PA 17.3 miles from Monessen BOC Score49.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#4

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Fayette- Eberly

Lemont Furnace, PA 19.9 miles from Monessen BOC Score45.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

Visit website

#5

Carlow University

Pittsburgh, PA 20.3 miles from Monessen BOC Score52.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Monessen

Monessen is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). 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$133,040Pittsburgh, PA$140,486
Judge or Magistrate$110,580PA statewide$116,769
Police Supervisor$103,060Pittsburgh, PA$108,828
Detective or Criminal Investigator$95,120Pittsburgh, PA$100,444
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$83,190Pittsburgh, PA$87,846
Correctional Officer$60,540Pittsburgh, PA$63,928
Probation Officer$82,220Pittsburgh, PA$86,822
Forensic Science Technician$55,380Pittsburgh, PA$58,479
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$63,620Pittsburgh, PA$67,181
Information Security Analyst$103,630Pittsburgh, PA$109,430

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.


Monessen at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population6,825Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$51,094Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Monessen-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Monessen. The closest is Pennsylvania Western University in California, PA (6.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carlow University (20.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Monessen are: Attorney ($133,040), Judge or Magistrate ($110,580), Information Security Analyst ($103,630). 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 Bethel Park instead of Monessen?

Bethel Park, PA is 14.4 miles from Monessen 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 Monessen an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Monessen’s median household income of $51,094 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Monessen 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 Monessen

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

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.