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

Florence, South Carolina has a population of about 40,205. The city’s median household income is $56,433 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 44 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Florence, with tuition ranging from $4,488 to $29,628 per year for indexed programs. In the Florence, SC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $88,530 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Florence

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 44 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Florence. Distances are calculated from Florence city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Florence-Darlington Technical CollegeFlorence, SC4.8 miContact school for pricing
Williamsburg Technical CollegeKingstree, SC36.1 mi$4,488 - $14,074
Morris CollegeSumter, SC36.1 miContact school for pricing
Northeastern Technical CollegeCheraw, SC37.0 miContact school for pricing
Central Carolina Technical CollegeSumter, SC37.6 mi$5,715 - $13,295
St. Andrews UniversityLaurinburg, NC42.9 miContact school for pricing
University of North Carolina at PembrokePembroke, NC48.5 miContact school for pricing
Richmond Community CollegeHamlet, NC50.4 miContact school for pricing
Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC51.6 mi$11,640 - $29,628
Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeConway, SC52.0 miContact school for pricing

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Florence

Florence is part of the Florence, SC metro area (BLS area code 22500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$88,530Florence, SC$101,993
Judge or Magistrate$82,320Florence, SC$94,839
Police Supervisor$80,230SC statewide$92,431
Detective or Criminal Investigator$51,750Florence, SC$59,620
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$49,940Florence, SC$57,535
Correctional Officer$42,670Florence, SC$49,159
Probation Officer$56,090SC statewide$64,620
Forensic Science Technician$49,960SC statewide$57,558
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$47,600Florence, SC$54,839
Information Security AnalystN/ASC statewide

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Florence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,205Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,433Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+29.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Florence-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 44 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Florence. The closest is Florence-Darlington Technical College in Florence, SC (4.8 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Horry-Georgetown Technical College (52.0 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Florence are: Attorney ($88,530), Judge or Magistrate ($82,320), Police Supervisor ($80,230). 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 Sumter instead of Florence?

Sumter, SC is 38.5 miles from Florence 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 Florence an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Florence’s median household income of $56,433 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Florence 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.