Melrose Park, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Melrose Park has a population of about 24,513. Median household income is $64,740 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Forensic Science Technician at a median $112,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Melrose Park
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Melrose Park, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,852
Avg net price
$5,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,740
Avg net price
$10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 140
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
Avg net price
$36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 83%
- Programs offered: 168
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,071
Avg net price
$11,607/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
71%
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,099
Avg net price
$17,028/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 85
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$39,657
Avg net price
$4,574/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,560
Out‑of‑state$13,680
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$40,810
Avg net price
$2,232/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,200
Out‑of‑state$16,385
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$38,877
Avg net price
$2,254/yr
TuitionIn‑state$4,415
Out‑of‑state$14,301
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Melrose Park
Melrose Park is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $112,790 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $108,871 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $102,260 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $98,707 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $107,810 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $104,064 |
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.
Melrose Park at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 24,513 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $64,740 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 14.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Melrose Park-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Maywood, IL – 1.9 mi away (23,756 pop)
- Elmwood Park, IL – 2.8 mi away (24,626 pop)
- Oak Park, IL – 4.0 mi away (51,774 pop)
- Elmhurst, IL – 4.1 mi away (46,387 pop)
- Berwyn, IL – 5.6 mi away (55,748 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Melrose Park, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Melrose Park. The closest is Oakton College in Des Plaines, IL (11.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis University (23.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Melrose Park?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Melrose Park are: Forensic Science Technician ($112,790), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($107,810), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($102,260). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Maywood instead of Melrose Park?
Maywood, IL is 1.9 miles from Melrose Park 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 Melrose Park an affordable place to study forensic science?
Melrose Park’s median household income of $64,740 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Melrose Park while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 Melrose Park
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- Crime Analysis programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Criminology programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Cybercrime programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Emergency Management programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Fire Science programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Legal Services programs in Melrose Park, IL
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- Paralegal programs in Melrose Park, IL
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- Cloud Computing programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Computer Engineering programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Innovation programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Mobile App Development programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Software Development programs in Melrose Park, IL
- User Experience programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Web Development programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Machine Learning programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Supply Chain Management programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Data Analytics programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Public Health programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Human Resources programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Project Management programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Special Education programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Homeland Security programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Marketing programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Finance programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Kinesiology programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Sports Management programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Early Childhood Education programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Elementary Education programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Biology programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Communications programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Graphic Design programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Human Services programs in Melrose Park, IL
- MBA programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Criminal Justice programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Nursing programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Business Administration programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Computer Science programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Psychology programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Education programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Engineering programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Technology programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Liberal Arts programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Healthcare programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Cybersecurity programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Accounting programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Healthcare Administration programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Social Work programs in Melrose Park, IL
- Counseling programs in Melrose Park, IL
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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