Best Criminology Schools Near Garden City, KS (2026)

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

Garden City, Kansas has 1 accredited school offering criminology programs. Garden City has a population of about 27,781. Median household income is $72,511 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kansas, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $75,740 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminology Schools to Garden City

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

Barclay College

Haviland, KS 98.8 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
23.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,355
Avg net price $29,290/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fort Hays State University

Hays, KS 102.8 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,928
Avg net price $12,569/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Newman University

Wichita, KS 191.1 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,041
Avg net price $19,971/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Friends University

Wichita, KS 191.6 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 195.3 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Tabor College

Hillsboro, KS 200.4 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,058
Avg net price $20,205/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Southwestern College

Winfield, KS 218.4 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,646
Avg net price $29,824/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 245.7 miles from Garden City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Garden City

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Kansas, statewide)
SociologistN/A
Detective and Criminal Investigator$75,740
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$61,890
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$59,230

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.

Garden City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,781Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$72,511Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Garden City-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Garden City, KS?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Garden City. The closest is Barclay College in Haviland, KS (98.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Barclay College (98.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles in Kansas?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles in Kansas are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($75,740), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($61,890), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($59,230). Wages for Garden City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Dodge City instead of Garden City?

Dodge City, KS is 48.2 miles from Garden City 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 Garden City an affordable place to study criminology?

Garden City’s median household income of $72,511 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Garden City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Garden City

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

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 Kansas: Online Programs (2026)