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

Friendswood, Texas has a population of about 40,827. The city’s median household income is $125,052 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 22 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Friendswood, with tuition ranging from $1,773 to $24,909 per year for indexed programs. In the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $166,120 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Friendswood

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 22 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Friendswood. Distances are calculated from Friendswood city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Alvin Community CollegeAlvin, TX8.3 miContact school for pricing
San Jacinto Community CollegePasadena, TX11.5 miContact school for pricing
College of the MainlandTexas City, TX14.3 mi$1,773 - $8,014
Texas Southern UniversityHouston, TX17.5 miContact school for pricing
Houston Community CollegeHouston, TX19.3 miContact school for pricing
University of St ThomasHouston, TX19.5 miContact school for pricing
University of Houston-DowntownHouston, TX20.1 miContact school for pricing
Lee CollegeBaytown, TX20.2 mi$2,166 - $12,050
Houston Christian UniversityHouston, TX22.9 miContact school for pricing
North American UniversityStafford, TX25.3 mi$12,836 - $24,909

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Friendswood

Friendswood is part of the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area (BLS area code 26420). 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$139,460Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$141,440
Judge or Magistrate$166,120Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$168,479
Police Supervisor$110,030Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$111,592
Detective or Criminal Investigator$86,440Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$87,667
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$75,450Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$76,521
Correctional Officer$51,020Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$51,744
Probation Officer$51,900TX statewide$52,637
Forensic Science Technician$67,440Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$68,398
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$64,750Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$65,669
Information Security Analyst$120,170Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$121,876

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Friendswood at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,827Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$125,052Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Friendswood-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 22 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Friendswood. The closest is Alvin Community College in Alvin, TX (8.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is North American University (25.3 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Friendswood are: Judge or Magistrate ($166,120), Attorney ($139,460), Information Security Analyst ($120,170). 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 League City instead of Friendswood?

League City, TX is 5.6 miles from Friendswood 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 Friendswood an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Friendswood’s median household income of $125,052 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Friendswood 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.