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

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $2,792 to $57,780 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $157,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Lancaster

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Rock Hill, SC – 20.5 mi away (115,755 pop)
• Monroe, NC – 23.1 mi away (34,818 pop)
• Indian Trail, NC – 25.0 mi away (38,222 pop)
• Matthews, NC – 27.6 mi away (31,495 pop)
• Mint Hill, NC – 32.1 mi away (26,236 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Lancaster. The closest is University of South Carolina-Lancaster in Lancaster, SC (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Piedmont Community College (37.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Lancaster are: Attorney ($157,180), Information Security Analyst ($131,440), Police Supervisor ($107,150). 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 Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

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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.