Best Criminology Schools Near Franklin, TN (2026)

Franklin, Tennessee has 8 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $4,756 to $40,572 per year for indexed programs. Franklin has a population of about 85,575. Median household income is $115,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $78,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Franklin

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

#1

Lipscomb University

Nashville, TN 13.0 miles from Franklin 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

#2

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 28.0 miles from Franklin 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

#3

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, TN 50.8 miles from Franklin 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

#4

Bethel University

McKenzie, TN 94.2 miles from Franklin 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

#5

Freed-Hardeman University

Henderson, TN 105.5 miles from Franklin BOC Score 55.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,485
Avg net price $21,574/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Chattanooga College Medical Dental and & Technical Careers

Chattanooga, TN 105.7 miles from Franklin 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

#7

Bryan College-Dayton

Dayton, TN 107.9 miles from Franklin 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

#8

Lane College

Jackson, TN 111.4 miles from Franklin BOC Score 31.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,670
Avg net price $10,904/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Franklin

Franklin is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
SociologistN/ATN statewide
Detective and Criminal Investigator$78,460Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$81,475
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$58,010Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$60,239
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$68,780Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$71,423

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.


Franklin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population85,575Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$115,000Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+64.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Franklin-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Franklin, TN?

Our directory has 8 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Franklin. The closest is Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN (13.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Murray State University (94.9 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Franklin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Franklin are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($78,460), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($68,780), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($58,010). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brentwood instead of Franklin?

Brentwood, TN is 6.5 miles from Franklin 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 Franklin an affordable place to study criminology?

Franklin’s median household income of $115,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Franklin 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 Franklin

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

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.