Best Forensic Science Schools Near Dana Point, CA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Dana Point, California has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,428 to $16,911 per year for indexed programs. Dana Point has a population of about 32,883. Median household income is $127,246 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $127,890 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Science Schools to Dana Point

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

Norco College

Norco, CA 31.5 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
57.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,206
Avg net price $5,169/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 35.2 miles from Dana Point
  • 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

#3

Long Beach City College

Long Beach, CA 35.4 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
43.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,870
Avg net price $6,202/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 37.1 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,300
Avg net price $5,763/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 106

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA 38.8 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
45.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,091
Avg net price $8,377/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,428
Out‑of‑state$12,498
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Moreno Valley College

Moreno Valley, CA 40.3 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,133
Avg net price $6,483/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, CA 42.4 miles from Dana Point
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
59.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,950
Avg net price $14,379/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 90

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

El Camino Community College District

Torrance, CA 46.2 miles from Dana Point
  • 2 year
51.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,589
Avg net price $5,968/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Forensic Science Wages Near Dana Point

Dana Point is part of the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area (BLS area code 31080). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$104,410Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$91,910
Detective and Criminal Investigator$127,890Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$112,579
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$121,980Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$107,377

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.

Dana Point at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,883Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$127,246Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)113.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Dana Point-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Dana Point, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Dana Point. The closest is Norco College in Norco, CA (31.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Riverside City College (38.8 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Dana Point?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Dana Point are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($127,890), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($121,980), Forensic Science Technician ($104,410). 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 San Juan Capistrano instead of Dana Point?

San Juan Capistrano, CA is 3.1 miles from Dana Point 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 Dana Point an affordable place to study forensic science?

Dana Point’s median household income of $127,246 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Dana Point 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 Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Dana Point

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

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 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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