Crystal Lake, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs. Crystal Lake has a population of about 40,436. Median household income is $105,428 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning criminology-related role is Sociologist at a median $140,770 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminology Schools to Crystal Lake
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near Crystal Lake, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$57,808
Avg net price
$13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,123
Avg net price
$21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,709
Avg net price
$18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,446
Avg net price
$22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,794
Avg net price
$22,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,089
Avg net price
$18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,234
Avg net price
$14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 57%
- Programs offered: 56
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois criminology page.
Criminology Wages Near Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Sociologist | $140,770 | IL statewide | $135,878 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $102,260 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $98,707 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $67,610 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $65,261 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $107,810 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104,064 |
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.
Crystal Lake at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 40,436 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $105,428 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 42.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Crystal Lake-Area Cities With Criminology Programs
- Lake in the Hills, IL – 3.0 mi away (28,830 pop)
- Algonquin, IL – 4.9 mi away (30,947 pop)
- Huntley, IL – 7.1 mi away (26,611 pop)
- Woodstock, IL – 7.4 mi away (25,628 pop)
- McHenry, IL – 7.6 mi away (26,611 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminology schools are near Crystal Lake, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Crystal Lake. The closest is Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, IL (30.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College (33.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Crystal Lake?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Crystal Lake are: Sociologist ($140,770), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($107,810), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($102,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Lake in the Hills instead of Crystal Lake?
Lake in the Hills, IL is 3.0 miles from Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake an affordable place to study criminology?
Crystal Lake’s median household income of $105,428 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Crystal Lake while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Crystal Lake
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- Corrections programs in Crystal Lake, IL
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- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Fire Science programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Forensic Science programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Legal Services programs in Crystal Lake, IL
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- Paralegal programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Security Management programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Cloud Computing programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Innovation programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Software Development programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- User Experience programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Web Development programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Public Health programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Human Resources programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Project Management programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Special Education programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Marketing programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Finance programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Sports Management programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Biology programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Communications programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Human Services programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- MBA programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Nursing programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Business Administration programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Computer Science programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Psychology programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Education programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Engineering programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Technology programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Healthcare programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Accounting programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Social Work programs in Crystal Lake, IL
- Counseling programs in Crystal Lake, IL
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.
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