Best Online Homeland Security Programs in Beckley, WV (2026)

Beckley, West Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering homeland security programs. Beckley has a population of about 16,977. Median household income is $39,939 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In West Virginia, the top-earning homeland security-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $92,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Homeland Security Schools to Beckley

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

#1

Valley College-Beckley

Beckley, WV 0.7 miles from Beckley BOC Score 20.7
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $24,070
Avg net price $25,149/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV 0.8 miles from Beckley BOC Score 37.7
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $9,337/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Academy of Careers and Technology

Beckley, WV 1.3 miles from Beckley BOC Score 61.2
  • 2 year
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,756
Avg net price $9,988/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Homeland Security Wages Near Beckley

Beckley is part of the Beckley, WV metro area (BLS area code 13220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Emergency Management Director$60,460WV statewide$68,394
Detective and Criminal Investigator$92,410WV statewide$104,536
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$57,980Beckley, WV$65,588
Transportation Security Screener$63,130WV statewide$71,414

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.


Beckley at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population16,977Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$39,939Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Beckley-Area Cities With Homeland Security Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited homeland security schools are near Beckley, WV?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering homeland security programs near Beckley. The closest is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, VA (57.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mountwest Community and Technical College (80.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying homeland security-related roles near Beckley are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($92,410), Transportation Security Screener ($63,130), Emergency Management Director ($60,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bluefield instead of Beckley?

Bluefield, WV is 36.5 miles from Beckley 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 Beckley an affordable place to study homeland security?

Beckley’s median household income of $39,939 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Beckley while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West 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 Beckley

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.