Ponca City, Oklahoma has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs. Ponca City has a population of about 24,377. Median household income is $55,270 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Oklahoma, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $80,430 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminology Schools to Ponca City
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near Ponca City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Ponca 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:
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 Ponca City.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,841
Avg net price
$28,358/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 49%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,351
Avg net price
$18,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 126
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
97%
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,203
Avg net price
$21,872/yr
TuitionIn‑state$27,180
Out‑of‑state$27,180
Key stats- Retention rate: 75%
- Programs offered: 52
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,655
Avg net price
$22,857/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,648
Out‑of‑state$35,648
Key stats- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,951
Avg net price
$22,084/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 46
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$37,555
Avg net price
$12,148/yr
TuitionIn‑state$5,030
Out‑of‑state$11,407
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
49%
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,434
Avg net price
$20,958/yr
TuitionIn‑state$35,570
Out‑of‑state$35,570
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
77%
Graduation rate
75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,126
Avg net price
$15,300/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,797
Out‑of‑state$27,377
Key stats- Retention rate: 89%
- Programs offered: 146
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Oklahoma schools on the Oklahoma criminology page.
Criminology Wages Near Ponca City
| Occupation | Median Annual Wage (Oklahoma, statewide) |
|---|
| Sociologist | N/A |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $80,430 |
| Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist | $50,380 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $59,700 |
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.
Ponca City at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 24,377 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $55,270 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 20.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
Other Ponca City-Area Cities With Criminology Programs
- Stillwater, OK – 40.9 mi away (48,233 pop)
- Enid, OK – 49.6 mi away (49,176 pop)
- Derby, KS – 58.5 mi away (23,633 pop)
- Bartlesville, OK – 62.2 mi away (39,848 pop)
- Wichita, KS – 68.4 mi away (482,205 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminology schools are near Ponca City, OK?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Ponca City. The closest is Southwestern College in Winfield, KS (36.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wichita State University (69.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminology roles in Oklahoma?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles in Oklahoma are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($80,430), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($59,700), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($50,380). Wages for Ponca City workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Stillwater instead of Ponca City?
Stillwater, OK is 40.9 miles from Ponca 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 Ponca City an affordable place to study criminology?
Ponca City’s median household income of $55,270 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Ponca City while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oklahoma 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 Ponca City
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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.
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