Best Criminal Justice Schools Near East Ridge, TN (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

East Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,762 to $17,756 per year for indexed programs. East Ridge has a population of about 22,034. Median household income is $55,988 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $147,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to East Ridge

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near East Ridge, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from East Ridge city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 East Ridge. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN 5.3 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,151
Avg net price $14,265/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 36.9 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
48.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434
Avg net price $20,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,800
Out‑of‑state$19,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 47.4 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 86.7 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

South College

Knoxville, TN 96.9 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Cumberland University

Lebanon, TN 102.8 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,687
Avg net price $18,759/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

The University of Tennessee Southern

Pulaski, TN 103.1 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,924
Avg net price $12,798/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN 116.6 miles from East Ridge
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,378
Avg net price $16,813/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near East Ridge

East Ridge is part of the Chattanooga, TN-GA metro area (BLS area code 16860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $147,640 Chattanooga, TN-GA $161,355
Judge or Magistrate $107,670 Chattanooga, TN-GA $117,672
Police Supervisor $74,860 Chattanooga, TN-GA $81,814
Detective or Criminal Investigator $74,600 Chattanooga, TN-GA $81,530
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $51,330 Chattanooga, TN-GA $56,098
Correctional Officer $49,430 Chattanooga, TN-GA $54,022
Probation Officer $56,420 Chattanooga, TN-GA $61,661
Forensic Science Technician $70,500 TN statewide $77,049
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $59,290 Chattanooga, TN-GA $64,798
Information Security Analyst $115,160 Chattanooga, TN-GA $125,858

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.

East Ridge at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 22,034 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,988 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.5 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other East Ridge-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near East Ridge, TN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near East Ridge. The closest is The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga in Chattanooga, TN (5.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Cleveland State Community College (24.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near East Ridge?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near East Ridge are: Attorney ($147,640), Information Security Analyst ($115,160), Judge or Magistrate ($107,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Chattanooga instead of East Ridge?

Chattanooga, TN is 4.9 miles from East Ridge 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 East Ridge an affordable place to study criminal justice?

East Ridge’s median household income of $55,988 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in East Ridge while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 East Ridge

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Criminal Justice Schools in Tennessee (2026)