Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Olympia, WA (2026)

Olympia, Washington has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Olympia has a population of about 55,583. Median household income is $76,930 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Police Supervisor at a median $140,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Olympia

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Olympia

Olympia is part of the Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA metro area (BLS area code 36500). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Washington 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.

Olympia at a Glance

Other Olympia-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Tumwater, WA – 3.6 mi away (22,538 pop)
• Lacey, WA – 4.8 mi away (47,688 pop)
• Lakewood, WA – 19.1 mi away (60,665 pop)
• University Place, WA – 20.3 mi away (33,288 pop)
• Centralia, WA – 22.3 mi away (41,077 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Olympia, WA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Olympia. The closest is South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Centralia College (22.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Olympia are: Police Supervisor ($140,730), Attorney ($132,900), Information Security Analyst ($126,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Washington statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Tumwater instead of Olympia?

Tumwater, WA is 3.6 miles from Olympia 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 Olympia an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Olympia’s median household income of $76,930 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Olympia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Washington 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 Washington
• Criminal Justice programs by state

Other Programs Available in Olympia

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

• Nursing programs in Olympia, WA
• Business Administration programs in Olympia, WA
• Computer Science programs in Olympia, WA
• Psychology programs in Olympia, WA
• Education programs in Olympia, WA
• Engineering programs in Olympia, WA
• Technology programs in Olympia, WA
• Liberal Arts programs in Olympia, WA
• Healthcare programs in Olympia, WA
• Cybersecurity programs in Olympia, WA
• Accounting programs in Olympia, WA
• Healthcare Administration programs in Olympia, WA
• Social Work programs in Olympia, WA
• Counseling programs in Olympia, WA

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• Best Online Colleges Ranking
• Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students

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.