Best Forensic Science Schools Near Lexington, KY (2026)

Lexington, Kentucky has 3 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $7,491 to $34,140 per year for indexed programs. Lexington has a population of about 312,495. In the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $84,900 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Science Schools to Lexington

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Lexington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lexington city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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


Forensic Science Wages Near Lexington

Lexington is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area (BLS area code 30460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$61,470KY statewide$66,168
Detective and Criminal Investigator$84,900Lexington-Fayette, KY$91,389
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$61,720Lexington-Fayette, KY$66,437

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.


Lexington at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lexington-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Lexington, KY?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Lexington. The closest is University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY (2.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miami University-Hamilton (92.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Lexington?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Lexington are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($84,900), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($61,720), Forensic Science Technician ($61,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Nicholasville instead of Lexington?

Nicholasville, KY is 12.0 miles from Lexington 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

Other Programs Available in Lexington

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

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.