Best Homeland Security Schools Near Opelika, AL (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Opelika, Alabama has 4 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $9,700 to $21,353 per year for indexed programs. Opelika has a population of about 35,005. In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $72,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Homeland Security Schools to Opelika

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer homeland security programs near Opelika, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Opelika 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 Opelika. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Auburn University

Auburn, AL 7.8 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
76.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,337
Avg net price $24,323/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,890
Out‑of‑state$34,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Tuskegee University

Tuskegee, AL 25.1 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,641
Avg net price $35,013/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Amridge University

Montgomery, AL 50.8 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,621
Tuition
In‑state$7,590
Out‑of‑state$7,590
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 50.9 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,391
Avg net price $13,224/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Faulkner University

Montgomery, AL 52.5 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,457
Avg net price $22,085/yr
Tuition
In‑state$23,920
Out‑of‑state$23,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South University-Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 53.7 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
18.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,807/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Huntingdon College

Montgomery, AL 57.1 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
33.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,601
Avg net price $22,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Alabama State University

Montgomery, AL 57.3 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
27.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,502
Avg net price $20,435/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,248
Out‑of‑state$19,576
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama homeland security page.

Homeland Security Wages Near Opelika

Opelika is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management DirectorN/AAL statewide–
Detective and Criminal Investigator$72,420Auburn-Opelika, AL$82,389
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$60,230Auburn-Opelika, AL$68,521
Transportation Security Screener$63,770AL statewide$72,548

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.

Opelika at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Opelika-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Opelika, AL?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Opelika. The closest is Columbus State University in Columbus, GA (27.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Herzing University-Atlanta (94.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near Opelika?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Opelika are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($72,420), Transportation Security Screener ($63,770), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($60,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Opelika?

Auburn, AL is 7.5 miles from Opelika and has its own set of local homeland security programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Homeland Security Programs

Other Programs Available in Opelika

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.

Back to Best Homeland Security Schools in Alabama (2026)