Best Criminology Schools Near Ocala, FL (2026)

Ocala, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $6,368 to $23,133 per year for indexed programs. Ocala has a population of about 64,903. Median household income is $53,520 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 28.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Ocala, FL metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer at a median $73,570 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Ocala

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

Gainesville, FL 34.4 miles from Ocala
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 172

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL 34.4 miles from Ocala
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
83.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $4,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, FL 58.7 miles from Ocala
  • 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

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 69.9 miles from Ocala
  • 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

#5

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL 70.1 miles from Ocala
  • 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

#6

Flagler College

Saint Augustine, FL 70.3 miles from Ocala
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,483
Avg net price $30,525/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 79.0 miles from Ocala
  • 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

#8

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL 80.2 miles from Ocala
  • 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

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


Criminology Wages Near Ocala

Ocala is part of the Ocala, FL metro area (BLS area code 36100). 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$49,317
Detective and Criminal Investigator$60,470Ocala, FL$63,519
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$49,360Ocala, FL$51,849
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$73,570Ocala, FL$77,279

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.


Ocala at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population64,903Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$53,520Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+28.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Ocala-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Ocala, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Ocala. The closest is University of Florida in Gainesville, FL (34.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ana G. Mendez University (70.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Ocala?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Ocala are: Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($73,570), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($60,470), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($49,360). 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 Leesburg instead of Ocala?

Leesburg, FL is 32.3 miles from Ocala 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 Ocala an affordable place to study criminology?

Ocala’s median household income of $53,520 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ocala 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 Ocala

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

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.