Best Criminology Schools Near Vista, CA (2026)

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

Vista, California has 26 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,082 to $49,922 per year for indexed programs. Vista has a population of about 98,646. Median household income is $91,854 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.2% 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 Vista

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

#1

Ashford University

San Diego, CA 25.6 miles from Vista BOC Score 15.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 10%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,404
Avg net price $31,266/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,960
Out‑of‑state$11,960
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 42

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

#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA 30.3 miles from Vista BOC Score 83.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 36%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,909
Avg net price $15,364/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,728
Out‑of‑state$21,328
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 57

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

#3

Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA 32.7 miles from Vista BOC Score 68.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,998
Avg net price $38,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Massachusetts Global

Aliso Viejo, CA 44.4 miles from Vista BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 28

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

#5

Platt College-Riverside

Riverside, CA 51.5 miles from Vista BOC Score 47.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,669
Avg net price $21,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

La Sierra University

Riverside, CA 52.1 miles from Vista BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Platt College-Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 56.4 miles from Vista BOC Score 59.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 13

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

#8

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 59.6 miles from Vista BOC Score 96.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Vista

Vista is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). 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$125,770CA statewide$112,395
Detective and Criminal Investigator$124,840San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$111,564
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$77,230San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$69,017
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$110,400San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$98,660

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.

Vista at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population98,646Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$91,854Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)111.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Vista-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Vista, CA?

Our directory has 26 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Vista. The closest is California State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, CA (6.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is La Sierra University (52.1 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Vista?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Vista are: Sociologist ($125,770), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($124,840), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($110,400). 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 Oceanside instead of Vista?

Oceanside, CA is 4.7 miles from Vista 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 Vista an affordable place to study criminology?

Vista’s median household income of $91,854 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Vista 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 Vista

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

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 California: Online Programs (2026)