Rancho Santa Margarita, California has 19 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,150 to $41,228 per year for indexed programs. Rancho Santa Margarita has a population of about 47,257. Median household income is $146,827 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.8% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Rancho Santa Margarita, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,950
Avg net price
$14,379/yr
TuitionIn‑state$1,388
Out‑of‑state$9,884
Key stats- Retention rate: 100%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
91%
Graduation rate
53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,211
Avg net price
$3,967/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,160
Out‑of‑state$19,760
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,548
Avg net price
$22,878/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 53%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,310
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 40
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
42%
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$80,838
Avg net price
$14,741/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 27
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,142
Avg net price
$10,800/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 20
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Rancho Santa Margarita
Rancho Santa Margarita 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $104,410 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $91,910 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $127,890 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $112,579 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $121,980 | Los 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.
Rancho Santa Margarita at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 47,257 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $146,827 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Rancho Santa Margarita-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Mission Viejo, CA – 3.6 mi away (602,851 pop)
- Lake Forest, CA – 4.6 mi away (83,240 pop)
- Laguna Hills, CA – 6.4 mi away (31,509 pop)
- Aliso Viejo, CA – 8.3 mi away (51,424 pop)
- Laguna Niguel, CA – 9.4 mi away (65,328 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Rancho Santa Margarita, CA?
Our directory has 19 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Rancho Santa Margarita. The closest is Norco College in Norco, CA (19.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mt San Jacinto Community College District (38.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Rancho Santa Margarita?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Mission Viejo instead of Rancho Santa Margarita?
Mission Viejo, CA is 3.6 miles from Rancho Santa Margarita 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 Rancho Santa Margarita an affordable place to study forensic science?
Rancho Santa Margarita’s median household income of $146,827 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rancho Santa Margarita 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
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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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