Best Criminology Schools Near Peoria, AZ (2026)

Peoria, Arizona has 16 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $2,358 to $17,850 per year for indexed programs. Peoria has a population of about 194,338. Median household income is $93,403 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $98,860 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Peoria

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

#1

Glendale Community College

Glendale, AZ 16.1 miles from Peoria BOC Score 42.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,108
Avg net price $11,650/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

GateWay Community College

Phoenix, AZ 18.9 miles from Peoria BOC Score 49.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,147
Avg net price $13,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Paradise Valley Community College

Phoenix, AZ 19.0 miles from Peoria BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,196
Avg net price $12,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 21.1 miles from Peoria BOC Score 33.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Arizona State University Digital Immersion

Scottsdale, AZ 21.4 miles from Peoria BOC Score 61.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,668
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ 24.1 miles from Peoria BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,870
Avg net price $12,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Scottsdale Community College

Scottsdale, AZ 29.4 miles from Peoria BOC Score 54.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 17%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,905
Avg net price $13,336/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 31.7 miles from Peoria BOC Score 38.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arizona schools on the Arizona criminology page.


Criminology Wages Near Peoria

Peoria is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
SociologistN/AAZ statewide
Detective and Criminal Investigator$98,860Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$95,702
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$61,730Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$59,758
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$85,050Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$82,333

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.


Peoria at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population194,338Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$93,403Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Peoria-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Peoria, AZ?

Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Peoria. The closest is Glendale Community College in Glendale, AZ (16.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rio Salado College (31.7 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Peoria?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Peoria are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($98,860), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($85,050), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($61,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Surprise instead of Peoria?

Surprise, AZ is 11.4 miles from Peoria and has its own set of local criminology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Peoria an affordable place to study criminology?

Peoria’s median household income of $93,403 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Peoria while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona 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 Criminology Programs

Other Programs Available in Peoria

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.