Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Brownsville, TX (2026)

Brownsville, Texas has 3 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Brownsville has a population of about 188,023. Median household income is $48,675 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Texas, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $139,990 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Brownsville

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

#1

Texas Southmost College

Brownsville, TX 7.2 miles from Brownsville BOC Score 65.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,900
Avg net price $3,085/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Brownsville

Brownsville is part of the Brownsville-Harlingen, TX metro area (BLS area code 15180). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$103,100Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$119,884
Judge or Magistrate$139,990TX statewide$162,779
Police Supervisor$76,160Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$88,558
Detective or Criminal Investigator$109,300Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$127,093
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$56,820Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$66,070
Correctional Officer$33,670Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$39,151
Probation Officer$45,500Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$52,907
Forensic Science Technician$59,870TX statewide$69,616
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$45,480Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$52,884
Information Security Analyst$97,210Brownsville-Harlingen, TX$113,035

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.


Brownsville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population188,023Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,675Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)86.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Brownsville-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Brownsville, TX?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Brownsville 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 Brownsville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Brownsville are: Judge or Magistrate ($139,990), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($109,300), Attorney ($103,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in San Benito instead of Brownsville?

San Benito, TX is 14.8 miles from Brownsville 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 Brownsville an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Brownsville’s median household income of $48,675 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Brownsville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Brownsville

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.