Hoover, Alabama has 4 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $3,410 to $23,334 per year for indexed programs. Hoover has a population of about 92,401. Median household income is $107,822 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Birmingham, AL metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $79,560 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Hoover
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Hoover, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hoover 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 Hoover.
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 Hoover
Hoover is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). 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 | $67,340 | Birmingham, AL | $73,515 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $79,560 | Birmingham, AL | $86,856 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $60,590 | Birmingham, AL | $66,146 |
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.
Hoover at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 92,401 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $107,822 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 60.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Hoover-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Pelham, AL – 5.3 mi away (23,050 pop)
- Homewood, AL – 5.9 mi away (25,613 pop)
- Vestavia Hills, AL – 6.3 mi away (34,688 pop)
- Mountain Brook, AL – 8.6 mi away (20,590 pop)
- Bessemer, AL – 9.5 mi away (26,511 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Hoover, AL?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Hoover. The closest is University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham, AL (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Georgia Technical College (96.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Hoover?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Hoover are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($79,560), Forensic Science Technician ($67,340), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($60,590). 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 Pelham instead of Hoover?
Pelham, AL is 5.3 miles from Hoover 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.
Is Hoover an affordable place to study forensic science?
Hoover’s median household income of $107,822 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hoover while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama 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 Science Programs
Other Programs Available in Hoover
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Hoover:
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- Financial Technology programs in Hoover, AL
- Forensic Accounting programs in Hoover, AL
- Health Information Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Hospitality Management programs in Hoover, AL
- International Business programs in Hoover, AL
- Organizational Leadership programs in Hoover, AL
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- Nonprofit Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Operations Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Public Administration programs in Hoover, AL
- Real Estate programs in Hoover, AL
- Recreation Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Retail Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Risk Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Statistics programs in Hoover, AL
- Taxation programs in Hoover, AL
- Corrections programs in Hoover, AL
- Crime Analysis programs in Hoover, AL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Hoover, AL
- Criminology programs in Hoover, AL
- Cybercrime programs in Hoover, AL
- Emergency Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Fire Science programs in Hoover, AL
- Legal Services programs in Hoover, AL
- Legal Studies programs in Hoover, AL
- Paralegal programs in Hoover, AL
- Security Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Cloud Computing programs in Hoover, AL
- Computer Engineering programs in Hoover, AL
- Innovation programs in Hoover, AL
- Mobile App Development programs in Hoover, AL
- Software Development programs in Hoover, AL
- User Experience programs in Hoover, AL
- Web Development programs in Hoover, AL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Hoover, AL
- Machine Learning programs in Hoover, AL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Data Analytics programs in Hoover, AL
- Public Health programs in Hoover, AL
- Human Resources programs in Hoover, AL
- Project Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Special Education programs in Hoover, AL
- Homeland Security programs in Hoover, AL
- Marketing programs in Hoover, AL
- Finance programs in Hoover, AL
- Kinesiology programs in Hoover, AL
- Sports Management programs in Hoover, AL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Hoover, AL
- Elementary Education programs in Hoover, AL
- Biology programs in Hoover, AL
- Communications programs in Hoover, AL
- Graphic Design programs in Hoover, AL
- Human Services programs in Hoover, AL
- MBA programs in Hoover, AL
- Criminal Justice programs in Hoover, AL
- Nursing programs in Hoover, AL
- Business Administration programs in Hoover, AL
- Computer Science programs in Hoover, AL
- Psychology programs in Hoover, AL
- Education programs in Hoover, AL
- Engineering programs in Hoover, AL
- Technology programs in Hoover, AL
- Liberal Arts programs in Hoover, AL
- Healthcare programs in Hoover, AL
- Cybersecurity programs in Hoover, AL
- Accounting programs in Hoover, AL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Hoover, AL
- Social Work programs in Hoover, AL
- Counseling programs in Hoover, 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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