Best Criminology Schools Near Kalamazoo, MI (2026)

Kalamazoo, Michigan has 23 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $6,417 to $39,350 per year for indexed programs. Kalamazoo has a population of about 73,132. Median household income is $48,965 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Michigan, the top-earning criminology-related role is Sociologist at a median $88,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Kalamazoo

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

#1

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 1.3 miles from Kalamazoo BOC Score 63.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$88,040MI statewide$92,869
Detective and Criminal Investigator$84,800Kalamazoo-Portage, MI$89,451
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$75,190Kalamazoo-Portage, MI$79,314
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$74,810Kalamazoo-Portage, MI$78,914

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.


Kalamazoo at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population73,132Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,965Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+37.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Kalamazoo-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Kalamazoo, MI?

Our directory has 23 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Kalamazoo. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses (53.5 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Kalamazoo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Kalamazoo are: Sociologist ($88,040), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($84,800), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($75,190). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Kalamazoo?

Portage, MI is 5.2 miles from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo an affordable place to study criminology?

Kalamazoo’s median household income of $48,965 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kalamazoo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Kalamazoo

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.