Bluefield, West Virginia has a population of about 9,511. The city’s median household income is $43,826 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 40 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Bluefield, with tuition ranging from $4,901 to $26,681 per year for indexed programs. In West Virginia, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $107,820 annually (BLS, May 2024).
The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 40 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Bluefield. Distances are calculated from Bluefield city center.
| School | City | Distance | Tuition | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield State University | Bluefield, WV | 1.3 mi | $10,240 - $20,747 | – |
| Bluefield University | Bluefield, VA | 1.9 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Wytheville Community College | Wytheville, VA | 22.4 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| New River Community College | Dublin, VA | 30.6 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| New River Community and Technical College | Beaver, WV | 35.3 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology | Beckley, WV | 35.7 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Southwest Virginia Community College | Cedar Bluff, VA | 36.4 mi | $4,901 - $15,885 | – |
| Radford University | Radford, VA | 37.7 mi | $12,286 - $26,681 | – |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg, VA | 43.7 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Virginia Highlands Community College | Abingdon, VA | 58.1 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all West Virginia schools on the West Virginia criminal justice page.
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (West Virginia, statewide) |
|---|---|
| Attorney | $102,240 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $63,240 |
| Police Supervisor | $72,960 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $90,690 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $54,570 |
| Correctional Officer | $49,990 |
| Probation Officer | $50,220 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $59,930 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $49,620 |
| Information Security Analyst | $107,820 |
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.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,511 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $43,826 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 24.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Our directory has 40 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Bluefield. The closest is Bluefield State University in Bluefield, WV (1.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Virginia Highlands Community College (58.1 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
Based on BLS May 2024 state wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles in West Virginia are: Information Security Analyst ($107,820), Attorney ($102,240), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($90,690). Wages for Bluefield workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Beckley, WV is 36.5 miles from Bluefield 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.
Bluefield’s median household income of $43,826 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bluefield while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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.
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