Best Criminology Schools Near Lancaster, SC (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $21,300 to $34,923 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $71,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminology Schools to Lancaster

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Coker University

Hartsville, SC 47.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,117
Avg net price $20,286/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 49.0 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 52.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Claflin University

Orangeburg, SC 84.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,304
Avg net price $17,800/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lander University

Greenwood, SC 86.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,396
Avg net price $15,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Bob Jones University

Greenville, SC 90.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,354
Avg net price $16,641/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Greenville Technical College

Greenville, SC 90.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,473
Avg net price $11,713/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Southern Wesleyan University

Central, SC 112.5 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,756
Avg net price $15,464/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
SociologistN/ASC statewide–
Detective and Criminal Investigator$71,460Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$73,443
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$62,220Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$63,947
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$63,190Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$64,943

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population8,738Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$43,234Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Lancaster. The closest is York Technical College in Rock Hill, SC (18.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Belmont Abbey College (39.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Lancaster are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($71,460), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($63,190), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($62,220). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study criminology?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina 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 Lancaster

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

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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