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

Odessa, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $3,030 to $12,519 per year for indexed programs. Odessa has a population of about 114,080. Median household income is $73,030 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.3% 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 Odessa

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Odessa. Distances are calculated from Odessa city center.

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Odessa

Odessa is part of the Odessa, TX metro area (BLS area code 36220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

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.

Odessa at a Glance

Other Odessa-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Midland, TX – 16.8 mi away (142,680 pop)
• Big Spring, TX – 56.1 mi away (29,267 pop)
• Hobbs, NM – 75.5 mi away (41,021 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Odessa. The closest is The University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa, TX (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Howard College (58.2 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Odessa are: Judge or Magistrate ($139,990), Attorney ($133,340), Information Security Analyst ($129,890). 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 Midland instead of Odessa?

Midland, TX is 16.8 miles from Odessa 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 Odessa an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Odessa’s median household income of $73,030 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Odessa 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

• 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 Texas
• Criminal Justice programs by state

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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.