Best Digital Forensics Schools Near Lancaster, PA (2026)

Lancaster, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering digital forensics programs, with tuition ranging from $39,870 to $58,168 per year for indexed programs. Lancaster has a population of about 57,683. Median household income is $63,421 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lancaster, PA metro area, the top-earning digital forensics-related role is Detectives and Criminal Investigators at a median $97,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Digital Forensics Schools to Lancaster

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

Ranked by BOC Score β€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, PA 56.8 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
45.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 74%
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,015
Avg net price $27,970/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,870
Out‑of‑state$39,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

DeSales University

Center Valley, PA 59.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,295
Avg net price $31,643/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, PA 67.2 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,416
Avg net price $15,699/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Scranton

Scranton, PA 100.1 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,652
Avg net price $32,568/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA 196.6 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,742
Avg net price $37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA 205.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,537
Avg net price $18,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Robert Morris University

Moon Township, PA 208.7 miles from Lancaster
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,105
Avg net price $23,003/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Digital Forensics Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Lancaster, PA metro area (BLS area code 29540). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analysts $96,540 Lancaster, PA $98,210
Computer Occupations, All Other $81,750 Lancaster, PA $83,164
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $97,190 Lancaster, PA $98,871
Forensic Science Technicians $61,580 PA statewide $62,645
Computer Systems Analysts $86,830 Lancaster, PA $88,332
Computer Network Support Specialists $78,060 Lancaster, PA $79,410
Private Detectives and Investigators $51,200 PA statewide $52,085
Network and Computer Systems Administrators $83,360 Lancaster, PA $84,802

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.


Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 57,683 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,421 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 98.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With Digital Forensics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited digital forensics schools are near Lancaster, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering digital forensics programs near Lancaster. The closest is Community College of Baltimore County in Baltimore, MD (48.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DeSales University (59.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying digital forensics-related roles near Lancaster are: Detectives and Criminal Investigators ($97,190), Information Security Analysts ($96,540), Computer Systems Analysts ($86,830). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lebanon instead of Lancaster?

Lebanon, PA is 21.6 miles from Lancaster 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 Lancaster an affordable place to study digital forensics?

Lancaster’s median household income of $63,421 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Lancaster

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

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.