Best Forensic Psychology Schools Near Santa Cruz, CA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Santa Cruz, California is home to about 60,953 residents. Median household income is $111,427 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, the top-earning forensic psychology-related role is First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at a median $172,590 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Psychology Schools to Santa Cruz

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

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 127.1 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The Chicago School at Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA 293.4 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 33%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Touro University Worldwide

Los Alamitos, CA 313.2 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
39.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,803
Avg net price $19,058/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

The Chicago School at Anaheim

Anaheim, CA 320.6 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,899
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA 329.8 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 29%
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,735
Avg net price $14,251/yr
Tuition
In‑state$15,722
Out‑of‑state$49,922
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 134

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 334.1 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 397.2 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northcentral University

San Diego, CA 399.3 miles from Santa Cruz
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
35.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,414
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Forensic Psychology Wages Near Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz is part of the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area (BLS area code 42100). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists $112,860 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $102,693
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists $103,640 CA statewide $94,304
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $102,710 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $93,458
Forensic Science Technicians $102,100 CA statewide $92,903
Psychologists, All Other $157,540 CA statewide $143,348
Social and Human Service Assistants $54,870 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $49,927
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $172,590 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $157,043
Rehabilitation Counselors $48,070 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $43,740

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.

Santa Cruz at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 60,953 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $111,427 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 57.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 109.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Santa Cruz-Area Cities With Forensic Psychology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying forensic psychology roles near Santa Cruz?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic psychology-related roles near Santa Cruz are: First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($172,590), Psychologists, All Other ($157,540), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($112,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Watsonville instead of Santa Cruz?

Watsonville, CA is 15.1 miles from Santa Cruz and has its own set of local forensic psychology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Santa Cruz an affordable place to study forensic psychology?

Santa Cruz’s median household income of $111,427 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Santa Cruz while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Psychology Programs

Other Programs Available in Santa Cruz

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

Data verified: September 5, 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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