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

Norfolk, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Norfolk has a population of about 235,037. Median household income is $64,017 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.7% 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 Norfolk

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Norfolk, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Norfolk city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Norfolk. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, VA 3.4 miles from Norfolk BOC Score 42.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,666
Avg net price $15,282/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 3.5 miles from Norfolk BOC Score 36.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,349
Avg net price $11,762/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Norfolk

Norfolk 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$133,380Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$136,241
Judge or Magistrate$104,000Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$106,231
Police Supervisor$97,200Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$99,285
Detective or Criminal Investigator$93,790Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$95,802
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$59,690Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$60,970
Correctional Officer$49,900Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$50,970
Probation Officer$58,830Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$60,092
Forensic Science Technician$62,120Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$63,453
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$59,790Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$61,073
Information Security Analyst$126,030Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$128,733

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.


Norfolk at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population235,037Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,017Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Norfolk-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Norfolk are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Norfolk 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 Norfolk?

Portsmouth, VA is 6.2 miles from Norfolk 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 Norfolk an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Norfolk’s median household income of $64,017 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norfolk 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

Other Programs Available in Norfolk

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.