El Centro, California has 6 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,082 to $46,250 per year for indexed programs. El Centro has a population of about 44,186. Median household income is $56,093 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning criminology-related role is Sociologist at a median $125,770 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminology Schools to El Centro
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near El Centro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from El Centro 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 El Centro.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
36%
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,909
Avg net price
$15,364/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 57
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$35,404
Avg net price
$31,266/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Key stats- Retention rate: 33%
- Programs offered: 42
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,998
Avg net price
$38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 25
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,669
Avg net price
$21,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,824
Avg net price
$45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
94%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,977
Avg net price
$4,564/yr
TuitionIn‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 38
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$65,703
Avg net price
$32,654/yr
TuitionIn‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Key stats- Retention rate: 52%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California criminology page.
Criminology Wages Near El Centro
El Centro is part of the El Centro, CA metro area (BLS area code 20940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Sociologist | $125,770 | CA statewide | $132,111 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $123,970 | El Centro, CA | $130,221 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $103,640 | CA statewide | $108,866 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $76,230 | El Centro, CA | $80,074 |
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.
El Centro at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 44,186 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $56,093 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 15.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other El Centro-Area Cities With Criminology Programs
- Calexico, CA – 8.0 mi away (40,232 pop)
- Brawley, CA – 13.3 mi away (26,231 pop)
- San Luis, AZ – 53.3 mi away (30,366 pop)
- Yuma, AZ – 60.1 mi away (137,936 pop)
- Coachella, CA – 71.1 mi away (44,953 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminology schools are near El Centro, CA?
Our directory has 6 accredited schools offering criminology programs near El Centro. The closest is ATA College in El Cajon, CA (82.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Point Loma Nazarene University (98.5 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminology roles near El Centro?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near El Centro are: Sociologist ($125,770), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($123,970), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($103,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Calexico instead of El Centro?
Calexico, CA is 8.0 miles from El Centro 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 El Centro an affordable place to study criminology?
El Centro’s median household income of $56,093 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in El Centro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 El Centro
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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.
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