Indianapolis, Indiana has 4 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $7,491 to $41,221 per year for indexed programs. Indianapolis has a population of about 1,550,488. In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer at a median $83,110 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Indianapolis
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Indianapolis, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,198
Avg net price
$11,668/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 97
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Indianapolis
Indianapolis is part of the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area (BLS area code 26900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $77,630 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $81,118 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $76,730 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $80,178 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $83,110 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $86,844 |
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.
Indianapolis at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 95.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Indianapolis-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Lawrence, IN – 10.3 mi away (47,866 pop)
- Greenwood, IN – 12.3 mi away (56,545 pop)
- Carmel, IN – 13.0 mi away (91,065 pop)
- Brownsburg, IN – 13.2 mi away (25,408 pop)
- Plainfield, IN – 13.2 mi away (31,409 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Indianapolis, IN?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Indianapolis. The closest is Indiana University-Indianapolis in Indianapolis, IN (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Middletown (96.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Indianapolis?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Indianapolis are: Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($83,110), Forensic Science Technician ($77,630), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($76,730). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Lawrence instead of Indianapolis?
Lawrence, IN is 10.3 miles from Indianapolis 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.
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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