Best Criminology Schools Near Rocky River, OH (2026)

Rocky River, Ohio has 33 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $6,407 to $39,832 per year for indexed programs. Rocky River has a population of about 21,490. Median household income is $93,956 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cleveland, OH metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $89,300 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Rocky River

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

#1

Baldwin Wallace University

Berea, OH 7.1 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 58.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,122
Avg net price $27,603/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Akron Main Campus

Akron, OH 31.9 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 48.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 50%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,600
Avg net price $13,946/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,135
Out‑of‑state$20,815
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Kent State University at Kent

Kent, OH 34.4 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 53.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $20,787/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Herzing University-Akron

Akron, OH 35.8 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 34.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $18,934/yr
Tuition
In‑state$13,450
Out‑of‑state$13,450
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 39%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Kent State University at Geauga

Burton, OH 36.8 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 43.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $12,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bowling Green State University-Firelands

Huron, OH 38.7 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 40.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,896
Avg net price $17,480/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Kent State University at Stark

North Canton, OH 46.9 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 40.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,388
Avg net price $10,897/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 54%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Walsh University

North Canton, OH 48.3 miles from Rocky River BOC Score 60.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,764
Avg net price $20,493/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Rocky River

Rocky River is part of the Cleveland, OH metro area (BLS area code 17410). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologist$78,850OH statewide$83,972
Detective and Criminal Investigator$89,300Cleveland, OH$95,101
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$61,120Cleveland, OH$65,091
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$80,280Cleveland, OH$85,495

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.


Rocky River at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,490Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$93,956Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+64.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Rocky River-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Rocky River, OH?

Our directory has 33 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Rocky River. The closest is Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, OH (6.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Walsh University (48.3 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Rocky River?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Rocky River are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($89,300), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($80,280), Sociologist ($78,850). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lakewood instead of Rocky River?

Lakewood, OH is 2.8 miles from Rocky River 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 Rocky River an affordable place to study criminology?

Rocky River’s median household income of $93,956 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rocky River while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Rocky River

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

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.