Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Roanoke, VA (2026)

Roanoke, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs, with tuition ranging from $5,157 to $12,829 per year for indexed programs. Roanoke has a population of about 98,677. Median household income is $52,671 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Roanoke, VA metro area, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $114,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Roanoke

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

#1

Paul Mitchell the School-Roanoke

Roanoke, VA 1.6 miles from Roanoke BOC Score 23.3
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $19,217
Avg net price $20,318/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 2

Source:Accreditor: Council on Occupational EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Western Community College

Roanoke, VA 2.4 miles from Roanoke BOC Score 54.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,787
Avg net price $4,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Hollins University

Roanoke, VA 4.2 miles from Roanoke BOC Score 48.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,075
Avg net price $20,896/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Galen Health Institutes-Roanoke

Roanoke, VA 4.2 miles from Roanoke BOC Score 42.0
  • 2 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,480
Avg net price $26,945/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security Wages Near Roanoke

Roanoke is part of the Roanoke, VA metro area (BLS area code 40220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$99,860VA statewide$106,688
Detective and Criminal Investigator$114,050Roanoke, VA$121,848
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$59,900Roanoke, VA$63,996
Transportation Security Screener$63,130Roanoke, VA$67,447

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.


Roanoke at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population98,677Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,671Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.6 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Roanoke-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Roanoke, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Roanoke. The closest is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA (26.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Piedmont Community College (79.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Roanoke are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($114,050), Emergency Management Director ($99,860), Transportation Security Screener ($63,130). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Salem instead of Roanoke?

Salem, VA is 5.4 miles from Roanoke 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 Roanoke an affordable place to study homeland security?

Roanoke’s median household income of $52,671 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Roanoke while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Roanoke

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

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.