Athens, Alabama has 3 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $9,098 to $31,574 per year for indexed programs. Athens has a population of about 32,587. In the Huntsville, AL metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $91,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Athens
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Athens, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Athens 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 Athens.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
88%
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,501
Avg net price
$18,749/yr
TuitionIn‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
98%
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,502
Avg net price
$20,435/yr
TuitionIn‑state$11,248
Out‑of‑state$19,576
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,534
Avg net price
$14,580/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 66%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Athens
Athens is part of the Huntsville, AL metro area (BLS area code 26620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $59,560 | AL statewide | $63,974 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $91,230 | Huntsville, AL | $97,991 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $64,550 | Huntsville, AL | $69,334 |
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.
Athens at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 93.1 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Athens-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Madison, AL – 11.8 mi away (47,959 pop)
- Decatur, AL – 14.7 mi away (57,974 pop)
- Huntsville, AL – 18.3 mi away (230,402 pop)
- Florence, AL – 40.6 mi away (42,716 pop)
- Cullman, AL – 42.4 mi away (20,239 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Athens, AL?
Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Athens. The closest is Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN (80.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Jacksonville State University (94.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Athens?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Athens are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($91,230), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($64,550), Forensic Science Technician ($59,560). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Madison instead of Athens?
Madison, AL is 11.8 miles from Athens and has its own set of local forensic science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
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 Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Athens
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Athens:
- Business Development programs in Athens, AL
- Construction Management programs in Athens, AL
- Economics programs in Athens, AL
- Financial Technology programs in Athens, AL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Athens, AL
- Health Information Management programs in Athens, AL
- Hospitality Management programs in Athens, AL
- International Business programs in Athens, AL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Athens, AL
- Management Information Systems programs in Athens, AL
- Nonprofit Management programs in Athens, AL
- Operations Management programs in Athens, AL
- Public Administration programs in Athens, AL
- Real Estate programs in Athens, AL
- Recreation Management programs in Athens, AL
- Retail Management programs in Athens, AL
- Risk Management programs in Athens, AL
- Statistics programs in Athens, AL
- Taxation programs in Athens, AL
- Corrections programs in Athens, AL
- Crime Analysis programs in Athens, AL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Athens, AL
- Criminology programs in Athens, AL
- Cybercrime programs in Athens, AL
- Emergency Management programs in Athens, AL
- Fire Science programs in Athens, AL
- Legal Services programs in Athens, AL
- Legal Studies programs in Athens, AL
- Paralegal programs in Athens, AL
- Security Management programs in Athens, AL
- Cloud Computing programs in Athens, AL
- Computer Engineering programs in Athens, AL
- Innovation programs in Athens, AL
- Mobile App Development programs in Athens, AL
- Software Development programs in Athens, AL
- User Experience programs in Athens, AL
- Web Development programs in Athens, AL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Athens, AL
- Machine Learning programs in Athens, AL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Athens, AL
- Data Analytics programs in Athens, AL
- Public Health programs in Athens, AL
- Human Resources programs in Athens, AL
- Project Management programs in Athens, AL
- Special Education programs in Athens, AL
- Homeland Security programs in Athens, AL
- Marketing programs in Athens, AL
- Finance programs in Athens, AL
- Kinesiology programs in Athens, AL
- Sports Management programs in Athens, AL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Athens, AL
- Elementary Education programs in Athens, AL
- Biology programs in Athens, AL
- Communications programs in Athens, AL
- Graphic Design programs in Athens, AL
- Human Services programs in Athens, AL
- MBA programs in Athens, AL
- Criminal Justice programs in Athens, AL
- Nursing programs in Athens, AL
- Business Administration programs in Athens, AL
- Computer Science programs in Athens, AL
- Psychology programs in Athens, AL
- Education programs in Athens, AL
- Engineering programs in Athens, AL
- Technology programs in Athens, AL
- Liberal Arts programs in Athens, AL
- Healthcare programs in Athens, AL
- Cybersecurity programs in Athens, AL
- Accounting programs in Athens, AL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Athens, AL
- Social Work programs in Athens, AL
- Counseling programs in Athens, AL
Data verified: August 11, 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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