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

Winchester, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $36,028 to $50,500 per year for indexed programs. Winchester has a population of about 27,981. Median household income is $64,648 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Winchester, VA-WV metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $124,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Winchester

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Winchester

Winchester is part of the Winchester, VA-WV metro area (BLS area code 49020). 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.

Winchester at a Glance

Other Winchester-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Charles Town, WV – 18.1 mi away (23,759 pop)
• Leesburg, VA – 33.6 mi away (52,607 pop)
• Hagerstown, MD – 40.3 mi away (186,377 pop)
• Frederick, MD – 44.4 mi away (152,047 pop)
• Herndon, VA – 44.5 mi away (24,393 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Winchester. The closest is Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Shepherd University (26.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Winchester are: Attorney ($124,760), Information Security Analyst ($119,680), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($112,760). 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 Charles Town instead of Winchester?

Charles Town, WV is 18.1 miles from Winchester 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 Winchester an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Winchester’s median household income of $64,648 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Winchester 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

Other Programs Available in Winchester

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

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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.