Best Criminology Schools Near Freeport, IL (2026)

Freeport, Illinois has 25 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $4,267 to $42,103 per year for indexed programs. Freeport has a population of about 23,636. Median household income is $48,181 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.0% 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 Freeport

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

#1

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 75.6 miles from Freeport BOC Score 66.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 86.5 miles from Freeport BOC Score 56.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 93.0 miles from Freeport BOC Score 73.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 100.5 miles from Freeport BOC Score 35.5
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 103.3 miles from Freeport BOC Score 66.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 105.7 miles from Freeport BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL 106.4 miles from Freeport BOC Score 66.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,656
Avg net price $10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL 107.0 miles from Freeport BOC Score 40.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,712
Avg net price $20,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Freeport

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
Sociologist$140,770
Detective and Criminal Investigator$91,190
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$74,390
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$100,520

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.


Freeport at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,636Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,181Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+20.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Freeport-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Freeport, IL?

Our directory has 25 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Freeport. The closest is Rockford University in Rockford, IL (31.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (59.1 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles in Illinois are: Sociologist ($140,770), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($100,520), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($91,190). Wages for Freeport workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Rockford instead of Freeport?

Rockford, IL is 29.3 miles from Freeport 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 Freeport an affordable place to study criminology?

Freeport’s median household income of $48,181 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Freeport 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 Freeport

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

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.