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

Staunton, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Staunton has a population of about 25,765. Median household income is $62,586 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $127,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Staunton

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

#1

Blue Ridge Community College

Weyers Cave, VA 10.6 miles from Staunton BOC Score49.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 31.5 miles from Staunton BOC Score86.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Piedmont Virginia Community College

Charlottesville, VA 33.0 miles from Staunton BOC Score62.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Mountain Gateway Community College

Clifton Forge, VA 49.3 miles from Staunton BOC Score42.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#5

Central Virginia Community College

Lynchburg, VA 55.7 miles from Staunton BOC Score50.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Staunton

Staunton is part of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area (BLS area code 44420). 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$103,530Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$113,644
Judge or Magistrate$104,000VA statewide$114,160
Police Supervisor$77,930Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$85,543
Detective or Criminal Investigator$112,760VA statewide$123,776
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$56,640Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$62,173
Correctional Officer$47,850Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$52,525
Probation Officer$53,330Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$58,540
Forensic Science Technician$68,900VA statewide$75,631
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$50,890Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$55,862
Information Security Analyst$127,860Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$140,351

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.


Staunton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population25,765Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,586Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Staunton-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Staunton. The closest is Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA (10.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Virginia Community College (55.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Staunton are: Information Security Analyst ($127,860), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($112,760), 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 Waynesboro instead of Staunton?

Waynesboro, VA is 10.8 miles from Staunton 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 Staunton an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Staunton’s median household income of $62,586 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Staunton 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 Staunton

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

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.