Best Criminology Schools Near Lawrence, MA (2026)

Lawrence, Massachusetts has 48 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $5,352 to $70,702 per year for indexed programs. Lawrence has a population of about 88,297. Median household income is $57,903 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $110,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Lawrence

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

#1

University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Lowell, MA 9.0 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 73.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,874
Avg net price $17,163/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Endicott College

Beverly, MA 19.4 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 63.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,336
Avg net price $40,654/yr
Tuition
In‑state$40,650
Out‑of‑state$40,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Cambridge College

Boston, MA 22.5 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 35.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,998
Avg net price $31,072/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,378
Out‑of‑state$18,378
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Fisher College

Boston, MA 24.3 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 29.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,669
Avg net price $26,649/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Boston University

Boston, MA 24.4 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 81.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $83,238
Avg net price $24,402/yr
Tuition
In‑state$68,102
Out‑of‑state$68,102
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA 25.0 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 78.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $103,937
Avg net price $41,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Northeastern University

Boston, MA 25.2 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 80.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 91%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $30,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northeastern University Professional Programs

Boston, MA 25.2 miles from Lawrence BOC Score 79.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Lawrence

Lawrence is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area (BLS area code 14460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$106,530Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$98,366
Detective and Criminal Investigator$110,150Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$101,708
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$98,100Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$90,582
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$78,180Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,188

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.


Lawrence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,297Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,903Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+16.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lawrence-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Lawrence, MA?

Our directory has 48 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Lawrence. The closest is University of Massachusetts-Lowell in Lowell, MA (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Boston College (25.2 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Lawrence?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Lawrence are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($110,150), Sociologist ($106,530), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($98,100). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Methuen instead of Lawrence?

Methuen, MA is 2.7 miles from Lawrence 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 Lawrence an affordable place to study criminology?

Lawrence’s median household income of $57,903 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lawrence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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 Lawrence

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

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.