Best Forensic Science Schools Near Cape Coral, FL (2026)

Cape Coral, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $2,506 to $34,408 per year for indexed programs. Cape Coral has a population of about 206,387. Median household income is $76,062 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer at a median $76,710 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Science Schools to Cape Coral

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Cape Coral, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cape Coral 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 Cape Coral. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 9.2 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 66.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,421
Avg net price $7,247/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 18.5 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 68.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,560
Avg net price $12,568/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,118
Out‑of‑state$25,162
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 87.2 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 74.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 93.6 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 61.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 107

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 94.5 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 58.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL 114.1 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,315
Avg net price $3,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 125

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Lynn University

Boca Raton, FL 117.3 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 38.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,006
Avg net price $44,089/yr
Tuition
In‑state$44,480
Out‑of‑state$44,480
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Florida International University

Miami, FL 117.7 miles from Cape Coral BOC Score 82.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $9,288/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Forensic Science Wages Near Cape Coral

Cape Coral is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area (BLS area code 15980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$63,150Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$61,730
Detective and Criminal Investigator$76,310Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$74,594
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$76,710Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$74,985

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.


Cape Coral at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population206,387Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$76,062Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)102.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Cape Coral-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Cape Coral, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Cape Coral. The closest is Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, FL (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is The University of Tampa (94.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Cape Coral?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Cape Coral are: Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($76,710), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($76,310), Forensic Science Technician ($63,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fort Myers instead of Cape Coral?

Fort Myers, FL is 10.4 miles from Cape Coral 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 Cape Coral an affordable place to study forensic science?

Cape Coral’s median household income of $76,062 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Coral while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Cape Coral

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Cape Coral:

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.