Best Criminology Schools Near Belton, TX (2026)

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

Belton, Texas has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $3,750 to $66,719 per year for indexed programs. Belton has a population of about 23,769. Median household income is $63,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $70,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminology Schools to Belton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminology programs near Belton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Belton 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 Belton. 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

Concordia University Texas

Austin, TX 48.8 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 91%
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,883
Avg net price $23,131/yr
Tuition
In‑state$23,500
Out‑of‑state$23,500
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 29

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

#2

Saint Edward's University

Austin, TX 59.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 81%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,826
Avg net price $25,578/yr
Tuition
In‑state$51,384
Out‑of‑state$51,384
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 56

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

#3

Texas State University

San Marcos, TX 85.3 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,906
Avg net price $16,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 132

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX 91.3 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,040
Avg net price $20,783/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Howard Payne University

Brownwood, TX 99.9 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,376
Avg net price $23,627/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX 110.8 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,411
Avg net price $13,570/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX 114.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,424
Avg net price $36,660/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 122

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Texas Wesleyan University

Fort Worth, TX 116.4 miles from Belton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,053
Avg net price $24,066/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminology Wages Near Belton

Belton is part of the Killeen-Temple, TX metro area (BLS area code 28660). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Texas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
SociologistN/ATX statewide–
Detective and Criminal Investigator$70,590Killeen-Temple, TX$77,486
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$51,740Killeen-Temple, TX$56,795
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$70,240Killeen-Temple, TX$77,102

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.

Belton at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population23,769Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+30.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)91.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Belton-Area Cities With Criminology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Belton, TX?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Belton. The closest is Temple College in Temple, TX (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Edward’s University (59.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles near Belton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles near Belton are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($70,590), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($70,240), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($51,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Texas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Temple instead of Belton?

Temple, TX is 6.3 miles from Belton 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 Belton an affordable place to study criminology?

Belton’s median household income of $63,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Belton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Texas 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 Belton

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

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.

Back to Best Criminology Schools in Texas: Online Programs (2026)