Best Criminology Schools Near Palatine, IL (2026)

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

Palatine, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs. Palatine has a population of about 66,548. Median household income is $95,950 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.8% 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 Palatine

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

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 18.7 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 19.2 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
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: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 19.3 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 23.7 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
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: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

North Central College

Naperville, IL 24.2 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 26.4 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
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: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

National Louis University

Chicago, IL 27.1 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
42.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,799
Avg net price $12,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 27.1 miles from Palatine
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Palatine

Palatine 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$140,770IL statewide$135,878
Detective and Criminal Investigator$102,260Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,707
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$67,610Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$65,261
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$107,810Chicago-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.

Palatine at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population66,548Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$95,950Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+49.8%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palatine-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Palatine, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Palatine. The closest is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL (17.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College (22.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Palatine?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Palatine 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 Rolling Meadows instead of Palatine?

Rolling Meadows, IL is 3.1 miles from Palatine 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 Palatine an affordable place to study criminology?

Palatine’s median household income of $95,950 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palatine 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 Palatine

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

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 Illinois: Online Programs (2026)