Best Forensic Science Schools Near Desert Hot Springs, CA

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

Desert Hot Springs, California has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,428 to $16,911 per year for indexed programs. Desert Hot Springs has a population of about 32,786. Median household income is $50,349 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $127,420 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Science Schools to Desert Hot Springs

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

Mt San Jacinto Community College District

San Jacinto, CA 26.6 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 2 year
40.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,319
Avg net price $6,806/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Moreno Valley College

Moreno Valley, CA 38.1 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 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

#3

Riverside City College

Riverside, CA 48.2 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 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

#4

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 50.6 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 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

#5

Norco College

Norco, CA 58.9 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 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

#6

Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 66.8 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 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

#7

San Diego Miramar College

San Diego, CA 79.5 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
64.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,224
Avg net price $3,337/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,146
Out‑of‑state$10,002
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

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

#8

Grossmont College

El Cajon, CA 83.2 miles from Desert Hot Springs
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,309
Avg net price $5,311/yr
Tuition
In‑state$1,332
Out‑of‑state$10,628
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 58

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

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

Forensic Science Wages Near Desert Hot Springs

Desert Hot Springs is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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$82,320Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$77,368
Detective and Criminal Investigator$127,420Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$119,756
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$101,870Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$95,742

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.

Desert Hot Springs at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,786Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$50,349Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+15.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Desert Hot Springs-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Desert Hot Springs, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Desert Hot Springs. The closest is Mt San Jacinto Community College District in San Jacinto, CA (26.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Norco College (58.9 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Desert Hot Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Desert Hot Springs are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($127,420), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($101,870), Forensic Science Technician ($82,320). 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 Cathedral City instead of Desert Hot Springs?

Cathedral City, CA is 9.3 miles from Desert Hot Springs 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 Desert Hot Springs an affordable place to study forensic science?

Desert Hot Springs’s median household income of $50,349 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Desert Hot Springs 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 Desert Hot Springs

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Desert Hot Springs:

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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