Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Port Arthur, TX (2026)

Port Arthur, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $1,770 to $21,626 per year for indexed programs. Port Arthur has a population of about 55,779. Median household income is $45,752 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $132,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Port Arthur

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Port Arthur. Distances are calculated from Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Lamar State College-Port Arthur

Port Arthur, TX 1.6 miles from Port Arthur BOC Score43.0
Published tuition$1,770 - $11,281
Online programs--

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#2

Lamar University

Beaumont, TX 15.5 miles from Port Arthur BOC Score47.7
Published tuition$8,690 - $21,626
Online programsYes

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#3

Lamar State College-Orange

Orange, TX 16.4 miles from Port Arthur BOC Score53.6
Published tuition$2,832 - $13,824
Online programsYes

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#4

Lamar Institute of Technology

Beaumont, TX 16.8 miles from Port Arthur BOC Score48.0
Published tuition$2,844 - $14,139
Online programsYes

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#5

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, LA 47.9 miles from Port Arthur BOC Score46.2
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 Port Arthur

Port Arthur is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX metro area (BLS area code 13140). 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$131,680Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$146,311
Judge or Magistrate$132,550Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$147,278
Police Supervisor$99,700Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$110,778
Detective or Criminal Investigator$70,760Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$78,622
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$78,450Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$87,167
Correctional Officer$54,020Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$60,022
Probation Officer$52,860Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$58,733
Forensic Science Technician$59,870TX statewide$66,522
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$48,890Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$54,322
Information Security Analyst$105,140Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX$116,822

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.


Port Arthur at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population55,779Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$45,752Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+11.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Port Arthur-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Port Arthur, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Port Arthur. The closest is Lamar State College-Port Arthur in Port Arthur, TX (1.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is McNeese State University (47.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Port Arthur?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Port Arthur are: Judge or Magistrate ($132,550), Attorney ($131,680), Information Security Analyst ($105,140). 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 Beaumont instead of Port Arthur?

Beaumont, TX is 20.6 miles from Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Port Arthur’s median household income of $45,752 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Port Arthur 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 Port Arthur

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

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.