Best Criminology Schools Near Fairmont, WV (2026)

Fairmont, West Virginia has 29 accredited schools offering criminology programs, with tuition ranging from $6,362 to $34,090 per year for indexed programs. Fairmont has a population of about 18,303. Median household income is $60,791 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In West Virginia, the top-earning criminology-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $92,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminology Schools to Fairmont

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

#1

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV 0.9 miles from Fairmont BOC Score 50.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,857
Avg net price $9,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminology Wages Near Fairmont

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (West Virginia, statewide)
SociologistN/A
Detective and Criminal Investigator$92,410
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist$53,120
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$56,960

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.


Fairmont at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population18,303Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$60,791Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Fairmont-Area Cities With Criminology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminology schools are near Fairmont, WV?

Our directory has 29 accredited schools offering criminology programs near Fairmont. The closest is Fairmont State University in Fairmont, WV (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ohio University-Eastern Campus (60.2 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminology roles in West Virginia?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying criminology-related roles in West Virginia are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($92,410), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($56,960), Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist ($53,120). Wages for Fairmont workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Morgantown instead of Fairmont?

Morgantown, WV is 15.5 miles from Fairmont 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 Fairmont an affordable place to study criminology?

Fairmont’s median household income of $60,791 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fairmont while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia 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 Fairmont

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.