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

Sumter, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $5,715 to $13,295 per year for indexed programs. Sumter has a population of about 43,065. Median household income is $53,071 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Carolina, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $105,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Sumter

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Sumter

Sumter is part of the Sumter, SC metro area (BLS area code 44940). 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.

Sumter at a Glance

Other Sumter-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Columbia, SC – 30.1 mi away (571,249 pop)
• Florence, SC – 38.5 mi away (92,614 pop)
• Orangeburg, SC – 41.2 mi away (31,666 pop)
• Lexington, SC – 47.5 mi away (20,988 pop)
• Lancaster, SC – 58.6 mi away (25,691 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Sumter. The closest is Central Carolina Technical College in Sumter, SC (1.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Carolina-Columbia (36.5 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Sumter are: Information Security Analyst ($105,800), Attorney ($101,900), Judge or Magistrate ($86,210). 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 Columbia instead of Sumter?

Columbia, SC is 30.1 miles from Sumter 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 Sumter an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Sumter’s median household income of $53,071 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sumter 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 Sumter

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

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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.