Best Criminology Schools Near Cookeville, TN (2026)

Cookeville, Tennessee has 17 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $4,756 to $40,572 per year for indexed programs. Cookeville has a population of about 35,544. Median household income is $48,501 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Tennessee, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $77,090 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Cookeville

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

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 51.8 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 53.3 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 48.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,434
Avg net price $20,614/yr
Tuition
In‑state$19,800
Out‑of‑state$19,800
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 70.8 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 48.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers

Chattanooga, TN 71.8 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 22.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $25,954
Avg net price $33,625/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 31%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 72.0 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 62.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,541
Avg net price $24,739/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

South College

Knoxville, TN 84.0 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 45.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,642
Avg net price $17,858/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN 106.0 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 44.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 96%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,301
Avg net price $9,735/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,006
Out‑of‑state$14,766
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Bethel University

McKenzie, TN 167.6 miles from Cookeville BOC Score 39.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 60%
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,482
Avg net price $12,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,712
Out‑of‑state$18,712
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Cookeville

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Tennessee, statewide)
SociologistN/A
Detective and Criminal Investigator$77,090
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$58,010
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$59,280

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.


Cookeville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population35,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$48,501Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Cookeville-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Cookeville, TN?

Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Cookeville. The closest is Roane State Community College in Harriman, TN (53.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lee University (76.8 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles in Tennessee?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles in Tennessee are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($77,090), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($59,280), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($58,010). Wages for Cookeville workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Cookeville?

Lebanon, TN is 46.7 miles from Cookeville 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 Cookeville an affordable place to study criminology?

Cookeville’s median household income of $48,501 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cookeville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Cookeville

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

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.