Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Chesapeake, VA (2026)

Chesapeake, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Chesapeake has a population of about 251,153. Median household income is $94,189 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $133,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Chesapeake

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Chesapeake

Chesapeake is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia 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.

Chesapeake at a Glance

Other Chesapeake-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Portsmouth, VA – 12.0 mi away (95,252 pop)
• Virginia Beach, VA – 14.8 mi away (1,487,505 pop)
• Norfolk, VA – 15.2 mi away (245,115 pop)
• Suffolk, VA – 18.7 mi away (89,273 pop)
• Hampton, VA – 26.3 mi away (135,410 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Chesapeake, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Chesapeake. The closest is Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA (10.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach (13.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Chesapeake are: Attorney ($133,380), Information Security Analyst ($126,030), Judge or Magistrate ($104,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Portsmouth instead of Chesapeake?

Portsmouth, VA is 12.0 miles from Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Chesapeake’s median household income of $94,189 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chesapeake while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Virginia
• 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.