The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Published tuition$10,144 - $23,563
Online programsYes
Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in East Ridge, TN (2026)
East Ridge, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $10,144 to $23,563 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 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near East Ridge. Distances are calculated from East Ridge city center.
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.
Chattanooga State Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Dalton State College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Lee University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
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
- Chattanooga, TN – 4.9 mi away (403,618 pop)
- Dalton, GA – 21.5 mi away (87,688 pop)
- Cleveland, TN – 23.9 mi away (71,601 pop)
- Calhoun, GA – 38.5 mi away (33,092 pop)
- Rome, GA – 50.6 mi away (61,019 pop)
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 (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lee University (23.3 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
- 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 Tennessee
- Criminal Justice programs by state
Other Programs Available in East Ridge
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for East Ridge:
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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.
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