Best Forensic Accounting Schools Near Columbus, OH (2026)

Columbus, Ohio has 5 accredited schools offering forensic accounting programs. Columbus has a population of about 906,480. Median household income is $65,327 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbus, OH metro area, the top-earning forensic accounting-related role is Accountant and Auditor at a median $81,700 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Accounting Schools to Columbus

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

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

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#1

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH 1.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,409
Avg net price $17,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 233

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Franklin University

Columbus, OH 1.9 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,892
Avg net price $25,243/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 40%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Ohio Dominican University

Columbus, OH 2.4 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
43.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,748
Avg net price $20,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Capital University

Columbus, OH 3.3 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
45.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,143
Avg net price $22,576/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

DeVry University-Ohio

Columbus, OH 5.9 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
23.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $25,001/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 39%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Ohio schools on the Ohio forensic accounting page.


Forensic Accounting Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, OH metro area (BLS area code 18140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Ohio statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor$81,700Columbus, OH$85,550
Financial Examiner$81,000Columbus, OH$84,817
Detective and Criminal Investigator$79,000Columbus, OH$82,723

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.


Columbus at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population906,480Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$65,327Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)95.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Forensic Accounting Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic accounting schools are near Columbus, OH?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic accounting programs near Columbus. The closest is Ohio State University-Main Campus in Columbus, OH (1.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DeVry University-Ohio (5.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic accounting roles near Columbus?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic accounting-related roles near Columbus are: Accountant and Auditor ($81,700), Financial Examiner ($81,000), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($79,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Ohio statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Upper Arlington instead of Columbus?

Upper Arlington, OH is 5.3 miles from Columbus and has its own set of local forensic accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbus an affordable place to study forensic accounting?

Columbus’s median household income of $65,327 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbus while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Ohio 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 Forensic Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbus

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

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 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.