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

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McAllen, Texas has 4 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. McAllen has a population of about 143,789. Median household income is $60,165 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% 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 McAllen

The 4 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 4 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near McAllen. Distances are calculated from McAllen 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 McAllen. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, TX 4.8 miles from McAllen BOC Score54.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX 7.5 miles from McAllen BOC Score64.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Texas Southmost College

Brownsville, TX 51.8 miles from McAllen BOC Score65.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Texas A & M University-Kingsville

Kingsville, TX 92.9 miles from McAllen BOC Score51.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near McAllen

McAllen is part of the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX metro area (BLS area code 32580). 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$115,920McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$134,948
Judge or Magistrate$139,990TX statewide$162,969
Police Supervisor$88,450McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$102,969
Detective or Criminal Investigator$103,380McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$120,349
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$58,360McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$67,939
Correctional Officer$46,300McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$53,900
Probation Officer$46,940McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$54,645
Forensic Science Technician$55,150McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$64,203
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$47,330McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$55,099
Information Security Analyst$78,200McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX$91,036

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.

McAllen at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population143,789Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,165Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other McAllen-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near McAllen. The closest is South Texas College in McAllen, TX (4.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Texas A & M University-Kingsville (92.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near McAllen are: Judge or Magistrate ($139,990), Attorney ($115,920), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($103,380). 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 Pharr instead of McAllen?

Pharr, TX is 4.9 miles from McAllen 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 McAllen an affordable place to study criminal justice?

McAllen’s median household income of $60,165 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McAllen 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 McAllen

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

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.

Back to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Texas (2026)

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