Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Elk River, MN (2026)

Elk River, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $5,940 to $22,820 per year for indexed programs. Elk River has a population of about 26,367. Median household income is $99,457 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Emergency Management Director at a median $111,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Elk River

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

#1

Herzing University-Minneapolis

St. Louis Park, MN 25.8 miles from Elk River BOC Score 48.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $16,670/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Dunwoody College of Technology

Minneapolis, MN 28.2 miles from Elk River BOC Score 73.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,511
Avg net price $26,939/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Walden University

Minneapolis, MN 28.3 miles from Elk River BOC Score 19.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,810
Avg net price $33,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 12%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Capella University

Minneapolis, MN 28.5 miles from Elk River BOC Score 29.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,189
Avg net price $17,956/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,400
Out‑of‑state$14,400
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 37%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Central University

Minneapolis, MN 29.1 miles from Elk River BOC Score 43.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,064
Avg net price $25,817/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bethlehem College & Seminary

Minneapolis, MN 29.3 miles from Elk River BOC Score 68.3
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 78%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 29.4 miles from Elk River BOC Score 83.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Minneapolis, MN 29.5 miles from Elk River BOC Score 44.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,873
Avg net price $29,926/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security Wages Near Elk River

Elk River is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$111,950Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$106,823
Detective and Criminal Investigator$85,300Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$81,393
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$97,190Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$92,739
Transportation Security Screener$68,830Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$65,677

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.


Elk River at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population26,367Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$99,457Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)104.8 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Elk River-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Elk River, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Elk River. The closest is Hennepin Technical College in Brooklyn Park, MN (18.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Century College (35.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying homeland security roles near Elk River?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Elk River are: Emergency Management Director ($111,950), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($97,190), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($85,300). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Ramsey instead of Elk River?

Ramsey, MN is 7.5 miles from Elk River 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 Elk River an affordable place to study homeland security?

Elk River’s median household income of $99,457 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elk River while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Elk River

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

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.