Best Digital Forensics Schools Near Buffalo, NY (2026)

Updated September 7, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Buffalo, New York has 1 accredited school offering digital forensics programs. Buffalo has a population of about 276,397. Median household income is $48,050 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 30.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area, the top-earning digital forensics-related role is Information Security Analysts at a median $116,290 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Digital Forensics Schools to Buffalo

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

Hilbert College

Hamburg, NY 10.3 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,309
Avg net price $22,723/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Onondaga Community College

Syracuse, NY 134.2 miles from Buffalo
  • 2 year
33.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,190
Avg net price $8,562/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

SUNY Broome Community College

Binghamton, NY 158.8 miles from Buffalo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,710
Avg net price $8,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Herkimer County Community College

Herkimer, NY 194.4 miles from Buffalo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,199
Avg net price $13,419/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Excelsior University

Albany, NY 253.1 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
58.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,493
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

New York, NY 290.2 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,195
Avg net price $3,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

St. Joseph's University-New York

Brooklyn, NY 294.1 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
70.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,905
Avg net price $19,035/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY 295.5 miles from Buffalo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,403
Avg net price $17,156/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all New York schools on the New York digital forensics page.

Digital Forensics Wages Near Buffalo

Buffalo is part of the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY metro area (BLS area code 15380). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $116,290 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $121,388
Computer Occupations, All Other $104,700 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $109,290
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $95,150 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $99,322
Forensic Science Technicians $82,040 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $85,637
Computer Systems Analysts $101,660 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $106,117
Computer Network Support Specialists $79,020 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $82,484
Private Detectives and Investigators $50,540 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $52,756
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $93,830 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $97,944

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.

Buffalo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 276,397 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,050 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 30.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 95.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Buffalo-Area Cities With Digital Forensics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited digital forensics schools are near Buffalo, NY?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering digital forensics programs near Buffalo. The closest is Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY (10.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hilbert College (10.3 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying digital forensics roles near Buffalo?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying digital forensics-related roles near Buffalo are: Information Security Analysts ($116,290), Computer Occupations, All Other ($104,700), Computer Systems Analysts ($101,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in North Tonawanda instead of Buffalo?

North Tonawanda, NY is 10.0 miles from Buffalo and has its own set of local digital forensics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Buffalo an affordable place to study digital forensics?

Buffalo’s median household income of $48,050 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Buffalo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New York 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 Digital Forensics Programs

Other Programs Available in Buffalo

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

Data verified: September 7, 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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