Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Kingsport, TN (2026)

Kingsport, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Kingsport has a population of about 55,807. Median household income is $50,436 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $208,350 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Kingsport

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Kingsport, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kingsport 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 Kingsport. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 18.0 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 51.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Milligan University

Milligan, TN 20.8 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 55.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,641
Avg net price $21,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

King University

Bristol, TN 21.9 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 56.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,831
Avg net price $22,347/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Tusculum University

Greeneville, TN 27.0 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 31.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,367
Avg net price $21,131/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN 62.1 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 51.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,956
Avg net price $20,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South College

Knoxville, TN 91.3 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 45.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 136.5 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 48.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 154.4 miles from Kingsport BOC Score 48.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 18

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

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Kingsport

Kingsport is part of the Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA metro area (BLS area code 28700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$107,560Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$124,491
Judge or Magistrate$208,350TN statewide$241,146
Police Supervisor$74,970Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$86,771
Detective or Criminal Investigator$84,660Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$97,986
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$48,620Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$56,273
Correctional Officer$48,440Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$56,065
Probation Officer$58,930Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$68,206
Forensic Science Technician$70,500TN statewide$81,597
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$54,210Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$62,743
Information Security Analyst$102,450Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA$118,576

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.


Kingsport at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,807Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kingsport-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Kingsport, TN?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Kingsport are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Kingsport are: Judge or Magistrate ($208,350), Attorney ($107,560), Information Security Analyst ($102,450). 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 Johnson City instead of Kingsport?

Johnson City, TN is 15.5 miles from Kingsport 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 Kingsport an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Kingsport’s median household income of $50,436 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kingsport 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 Kingsport

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.