Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Pekin, IL (2026)

Pekin, Illinois has 1 accredited school offering homeland security programs. Pekin has a population of about 31,812. Median household income is $58,355 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $83,820 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Pekin

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

#1

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 9.0 miles from Pekin BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing

Peoria, IL 9.6 miles from Pekin BOC Score 92.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,850
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Methodist College

Peoria, IL 15.0 miles from Pekin BOC Score 61.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,800
Avg net price $41,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Eureka College

Eureka, IL 21.4 miles from Pekin BOC Score 37.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,641
Avg net price $17,349/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lincoln Christian University

Lincoln, IL 32.5 miles from Pekin
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 32.6 miles from Pekin BOC Score 71.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,117
Avg net price $19,398/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,144
Out‑of‑state$28,210
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL 33.8 miles from Pekin BOC Score 62.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $70,871
Avg net price $28,199/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 46.8 miles from Pekin BOC Score 54.5
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,820
Avg net price $24,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 8

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security Wages Near Pekin

Pekin is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$83,820IL statewide$91,908
Detective and Criminal Investigator$73,700Peoria, IL$80,811
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$76,670Peoria, IL$84,068
Transportation Security Screener$65,170Peoria, IL$71,458

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.


Pekin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population31,812Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$58,355Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Pekin-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Pekin, IL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Pekin. The closest is Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL (56.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Western Illinois University (56.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Pekin are: Emergency Management Director ($83,820), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($76,670), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($73,700). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in East Peoria instead of Pekin?

East Peoria, IL is 8.6 miles from Pekin 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.

Is Pekin an affordable place to study homeland security?

Pekin’s median household income of $58,355 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pekin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Homeland Security Programs

Other Programs Available in Pekin

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.