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

Herndon, Virginia has a population of about 24,529. The city’s median household income is $141,418 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 71 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Herndon, with tuition ranging from $6,152 to $71,549 per year for indexed programs. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $191,880 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Herndon

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 71 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Herndon. Distances are calculated from Herndon city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Washington University of Science and TechnologyVienna, VA9.4 mi$13,178
University of the Potomac-VA CampusFALLS CHURCH, VA10.1 miContact school for pricing
George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA10.4 miContact school for pricing
Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA12.4 miContact school for pricing
Marymount UniversityArlington, VA14.6 miContact school for pricing
Montgomery CollegeRockville, MD15.1 miContact school for pricing
American UniversityWashington, DC16.2 mi$56,543 - $71,549
Strayer University-VirginiaArlington, VA17.1 mi$13,920
University of the District of ColumbiaWashington, DC17.3 mi$6,152 - $20,911
University of Management and TechnologyArlington, VA17.6 mi$9,450

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Herndon

Herndon is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$191,880Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$176,198
Judge or Magistrate$163,190Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$149,853
Police Supervisor$124,770Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$114,573
Detective or Criminal Investigator$153,340Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$140,808
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$83,430Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$76,612
Correctional Officer$69,040Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$63,398
Probation Officer$68,750Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$63,131
Forensic Science Technician$80,300Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$73,737
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$80,550Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$73,967
Information Security Analyst$138,410Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$127,098

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.


Herndon at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,418Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 71 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Herndon. The closest is Washington University of Science and Technology in Vienna, VA (9.4 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is University of Management and Technology (17.6 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Herndon are: Attorney ($191,880), Judge or Magistrate ($163,190), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($153,340). 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 Fairfax instead of Herndon?

Fairfax, VA is 9.3 miles from Herndon 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 Herndon an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Herndon’s median household income of $141,418 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Herndon 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.


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.