Best Criminology Schools Near Little Rock, AR (2026)

Updated August 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Little Rock, Arkansas has 16 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $3,336 to $34,500 per year for indexed programs. Little Rock has a population of about 202,739. Median household income is $60,583 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $56,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminology Schools to Little Rock

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

#1

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Little Rock, AR 1.2 miles from Little Rock BOC Score 42.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,265
Avg net price $17,248/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,748
Out‑of‑state$22,158
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Arkansas Grantham

LIttle Rock, AR 3.6 miles from Little Rock BOC Score 49.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,496
Avg net price $8,370/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 28%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Little Rock

Little Rock is part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area (BLS area code 30780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
SociologistN/AAR statewide–
Detective and Criminal Investigator$56,270Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$62,942
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$52,820Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$59,083
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$54,840Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR$61,342

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.

Little Rock at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population202,739Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,583Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.4 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Little Rock-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Little Rock, AR?

Our directory has 16 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Little Rock. The closest is University of Arkansas at Little Rock in Little Rock, AR (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Henderson State University (57.5 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Little Rock?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Little Rock are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($56,270), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($54,840), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($52,820). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Little Rock instead of Little Rock?

North Little Rock, AR is 7.9 miles from Little Rock 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 Little Rock an affordable place to study criminology?

Little Rock’s median household income of $60,583 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Little Rock while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 Little Rock

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

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.

Back to Best Criminology Schools in Arkansas: Online Programs (2026)