South Gate, California has 17 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,144 to $41,228 per year for indexed programs. South Gate has a population of about 91,836. Median household income is $71,315 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 11.5% 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 South Gate
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near South Gate, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Gate 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 South Gate.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
Graduation rate
92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source: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 South Gate
South Gate 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.
South Gate at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 91,836 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $71,315 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 11.5% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 113.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other South Gate-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Cudahy, CA – 1.4 mi away (24,098 pop)
- Lynwood, CA – 1.5 mi away (71,187 pop)
- Bell, CA – 2.5 mi away (35,864 pop)
- Bell Gardens, CA – 2.6 mi away (42,806 pop)
- Huntington Park, CA – 2.8 mi away (58,879 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near South Gate, CA?
Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near South Gate. The closest is East Los Angeles College in Monterey Park, CA (7.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California Baptist University (44.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near South Gate?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near South Gate 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 Cudahy instead of South Gate?
Cudahy, CA is 1.4 miles from South Gate 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 South Gate an affordable place to study forensic science?
South Gate’s median household income of $71,315 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Gate 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 South Gate
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for South Gate:
- Business Development programs in South Gate, CA
- Construction Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Economics programs in South Gate, CA
- Financial Technology programs in South Gate, CA
- Forensic Accounting programs in South Gate, CA
- Health Information Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Hospitality Management programs in South Gate, CA
- International Business programs in South Gate, CA
- Organizational Leadership programs in South Gate, CA
- Management Information Systems programs in South Gate, CA
- Nonprofit Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Operations Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Public Administration programs in South Gate, CA
- Real Estate programs in South Gate, CA
- Recreation Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Retail Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Risk Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Statistics programs in South Gate, CA
- Taxation programs in South Gate, CA
- Corrections programs in South Gate, CA
- Crime Analysis programs in South Gate, CA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in South Gate, CA
- Criminology programs in South Gate, CA
- Cybercrime programs in South Gate, CA
- Emergency Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Fire Science programs in South Gate, CA
- Legal Services programs in South Gate, CA
- Legal Studies programs in South Gate, CA
- Paralegal programs in South Gate, CA
- Security Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Cloud Computing programs in South Gate, CA
- Computer Engineering programs in South Gate, CA
- Innovation programs in South Gate, CA
- Mobile App Development programs in South Gate, CA
- Software Development programs in South Gate, CA
- User Experience programs in South Gate, CA
- Web Development programs in South Gate, CA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in South Gate, CA
- Machine Learning programs in South Gate, CA
- Supply Chain Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Data Analytics programs in South Gate, CA
- Public Health programs in South Gate, CA
- Human Resources programs in South Gate, CA
- Project Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Special Education programs in South Gate, CA
- Homeland Security programs in South Gate, CA
- Marketing programs in South Gate, CA
- Finance programs in South Gate, CA
- Kinesiology programs in South Gate, CA
- Sports Management programs in South Gate, CA
- Early Childhood Education programs in South Gate, CA
- Elementary Education programs in South Gate, CA
- Biology programs in South Gate, CA
- Communications programs in South Gate, CA
- Graphic Design programs in South Gate, CA
- Human Services programs in South Gate, CA
- MBA programs in South Gate, CA
- Criminal Justice programs in South Gate, CA
- Nursing programs in South Gate, CA
- Business Administration programs in South Gate, CA
- Computer Science programs in South Gate, CA
- Psychology programs in South Gate, CA
- Education programs in South Gate, CA
- Engineering programs in South Gate, CA
- Technology programs in South Gate, CA
- Liberal Arts programs in South Gate, CA
- Healthcare programs in South Gate, CA
- Cybersecurity programs in South Gate, CA
- Accounting programs in South Gate, CA
- Healthcare Administration programs in South Gate, CA
- Social Work programs in South Gate, CA
- Counseling programs in South Gate, CA
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.
← Back to Best Forensic Science Schools in California (2026)
