Best Criminology Schools Near Clearwater, FL (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Clearwater, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $6,410 to $51,614 per year for indexed programs. Clearwater has a population of about 117,075. Median household income is $64,440 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $92,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminology Schools to Clearwater

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near Clearwater, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Clearwater 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 Clearwater. 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

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 18.3 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 22.0 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, FL 39.5 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,364
Avg net price $21,293/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL 49.8 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,294
Avg net price $28,551/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 51.6 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Polk State College

Winter Haven, FL 64.2 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,624
Avg net price $9,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL 95.1 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
Avg net price $19,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 104.3 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
80.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 130

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Clearwater

Clearwater is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$46,950FL statewide$46,531
Detective and Criminal Investigator$92,420Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$91,596
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$50,670Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$50,218
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$75,710Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$75,035

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.

Clearwater at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population117,075Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,440Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Clearwater-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Clearwater, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Clearwater. The closest is The University of Tampa in Tampa, FL (18.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southeastern University (51.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Clearwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Clearwater are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($92,420), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($75,710), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($50,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dunedin instead of Clearwater?

Dunedin, FL is 4.0 miles from Clearwater 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 Clearwater an affordable place to study criminology?

Clearwater’s median household income of $64,440 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clearwater while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Clearwater

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

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.

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