Bowling Green, Kentucky has 11 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $4,756 to $44,172 per year for indexed programs. Bowling Green has a population of about 73,638. Median household income is $48,419 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kentucky, the top-earning criminology-related role is Sociologist at a median $136,870 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminology Schools to Bowling Green
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near Bowling Green, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,129
Avg net price
$15,070/yr
TuitionIn‑state$27,808
Out‑of‑state$27,808
Key stats- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 23
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$41,583
Avg net price
$19,341/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
72%
Graduation rate
49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$46,747
Avg net price
$17,131/yr
TuitionIn‑state$34,673
Out‑of‑state$34,673
Key stats- Retention rate: 59%
- Programs offered: 12
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,438
Avg net price
$25,491/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 17
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,008
Avg net price
$25,532/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,737
Avg net price
$9,096/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 76%
- Programs offered: 54
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
96%
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$36,382
Avg net price
$8,040/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,387
Out‑of‑state$13,658
Key stats- Retention rate: 62%
- Programs offered: 22
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,036
Avg net price
$14,107/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 41
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky criminology page.
Criminology Wages Near Bowling Green
Bowling Green is part of the Bowling Green, KY metro area (BLS area code 14540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Sociologist | $136,870 | KY statewide | $151,741 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $79,360 | Bowling Green, KY | $87,982 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $59,610 | KY statewide | $66,086 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $60,550 | Bowling Green, KY | $67,129 |
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.
Bowling Green at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 73,638 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $48,419 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 32.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 90.2 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Bowling Green-Area Cities With Criminology Programs
- Gallatin, TN – 41.1 mi away (35,734 pop)
- Hendersonville, TN – 46.9 mi away (57,050 pop)
- Lebanon, TN – 53.3 mi away (33,068 pop)
- Mount Juliet, TN – 53.5 mi away (33,263 pop)
- Clarksville, TN – 57.3 mi away (179,367 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminology schools are near Bowling Green, KY?
Our directory has 11 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Bowling Green. The closest is Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sullivan University (95.4 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Bowling Green?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Bowling Green are: Sociologist ($136,870), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($79,360), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($60,550). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Gallatin instead of Bowling Green?
Gallatin, TN is 41.1 miles from Bowling Green 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 Bowling Green an affordable place to study criminology?
Bowling Green’s median household income of $48,419 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bowling Green while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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
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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.
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