Best Criminology Schools Near San Clemente, CA (2026)

San Clemente, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $12,540 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. San Clemente has a population of about 63,510. Median household income is $134,735 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $127,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to San Clemente

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 11.4 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,703
Avg net price $32,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$12,540
Out‑of‑state$12,540
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 19.1 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Platt College-Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 29.2 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,669
Avg net price $22,678/yr
Tuition
In‑state$14,922
Out‑of‑state$14,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:Accreditor: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 32.5 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,824
Avg net price $45,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Hope International University

Fullerton, CA 33.4 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,697
Avg net price $29,310/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA 33.8 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,951
Avg net price $6,555/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California State University-San Marcos

San Marcos, CA 34.1 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,908
Avg net price $10,229/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA 36.9 miles from San Clemente
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
86.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 46%
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,403
Avg net price $10,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 121

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near San Clemente

San Clemente is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$124,540Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$109,630
Detective and Criminal Investigator$127,890Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$112,579
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$108,150Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$95,202
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$121,980Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$107,377

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.


San Clemente at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population63,510Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$134,735Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+51.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other San Clemente-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near San Clemente, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near San Clemente. The closest is University of Massachusetts Global in Aliso Viejo, CA (11.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hope International University (33.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near San Clemente?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near San Clemente are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($127,890), Sociologist ($124,540), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($121,980). 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 San Juan Capistrano instead of San Clemente?

San Juan Capistrano, CA is 4.4 miles from San Clemente 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 San Clemente an affordable place to study criminology?

San Clemente’s median household income of $134,735 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in San Clemente 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 San Clemente

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.