Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Aiken, SC (2026)

Aiken, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $12,630 to $25,793 per year for indexed programs. Aiken has a population of about 32,334. Median household income is $69,837 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $123,960 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Aiken

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Aiken

Aiken is part of the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC metro area (BLS area code 12260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South 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.

Aiken at a Glance

Other Aiken-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• North Augusta, SC – 13.1 mi away (22,932 pop)
• Augusta, GA – 22.9 mi away (389,215 pop)
• Lexington, SC – 43.0 mi away (20,988 pop)
• Orangeburg, SC – 49.6 mi away (31,666 pop)
• Greenwood, SC – 52.0 mi away (42,279 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Aiken, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Aiken. The closest is Aiken Technical College in Graniteville, SC (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Voorhees University (36.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Aiken are: Attorney ($123,960), Information Security Analyst ($106,110), Judge or Magistrate ($85,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Augusta instead of Aiken?

North Augusta, SC is 13.1 miles from Aiken 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 Aiken an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Aiken’s median household income of $69,837 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aiken while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South 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 South Carolina
• Criminal Justice programs by state

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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.