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Best Forensic Psychology Schools Near Grand Rapids, MI (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to about 197,768 residents. Median household income is $65,526 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area, the top-earning forensic psychology-related role is First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives at a median $97,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Psychology Schools to Grand Rapids
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic psychology programs near Grand Rapids, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Grand Rapids 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Grand Rapids.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Grand Rapids is part of the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area (BLS area code 24340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Clinical and Counseling Psychologists
$94,540
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$98,995
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
$79,760
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$83,518
Detectives and Criminal Investigators
$92,410
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$96,764
Forensic Science Technicians
$87,280
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$91,393
Psychologists, All Other
$88,510
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$92,681
Social and Human Service Assistants
$40,440
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$42,346
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
$97,140
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$101,717
Rehabilitation Counselors
$39,100
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$40,942
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.
Grand Rapids at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
197,768
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$65,526
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
40.1%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
95.5 (below U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Grand Rapids-Area Cities With Forensic Psychology Programs
What are the highest-paying forensic psychology roles near Grand Rapids?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic psychology-related roles near Grand Rapids are: First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives ($97,140), Clinical and Counseling Psychologists ($94,540), Detectives and Criminal Investigators ($92,410). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Walker instead of Grand Rapids?
Walker, MI is 4.8 miles from Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids an affordable place to study forensic psychology?
Grand Rapids’s median household income of $65,526 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Grand Rapids while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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.
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.
