Middle Tennessee State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Murfreesboro, TN (2026)
Murfreesboro, Tennessee has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Murfreesboro has a population of about 157,547. Median household income is $76,241 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $218,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Murfreesboro
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Murfreesboro. Distances are calculated from Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Trevecca Nazarene University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Cumberland University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Lipscomb University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Fisk University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Tennessee schools on the Tennessee criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). 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 | $142,540 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $148,017 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $218,190 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $226,573 |
| Police Supervisor | $94,420 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $98,048 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $78,460 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $81,475 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $68,780 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $71,423 |
| Correctional Officer | $50,940 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $52,897 |
| Probation Officer | $58,010 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $60,239 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $78,480 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $81,495 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $60,800 | Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | $63,136 |
| Information Security Analyst | $115,430 | TN statewide | $119,865 |
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.
Murfreesboro at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 157,547 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $76,241 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 41.1% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.3 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Murfreesboro-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Smyrna, TN – 10.6 mi away (48,596 pop)
- La Vergne, TN – 14.4 mi away (35,071 pop)
- Brentwood, TN – 22.7 mi away (42,517 pop)
- Shelbyville, TN – 24.4 mi away (21,083 pop)
- Lebanon, TN – 24.6 mi away (33,068 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Murfreesboro, TN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Murfreesboro. The closest is Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fisk University (31.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Murfreesboro?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Murfreesboro are: Judge or Magistrate ($218,190), Attorney ($142,540), Information Security Analyst ($115,430). 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 Smyrna instead of Murfreesboro?
Smyrna, TN is 10.6 miles from Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro an affordable place to study criminal justice?
Murfreesboro’s median household income of $76,241 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Murfreesboro 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 Murfreesboro
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Murfreesboro:
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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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