Best Forensic Science Schools Near Elmwood Park, NJ (2026)

Elmwood Park, New Jersey has 30 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,913 to $53,290 per year for indexed programs. Elmwood Park has a population of about 21,287. Median household income is $100,852 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $106,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Science Schools to Elmwood Park

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Elmwood Park, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Elmwood 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:

  • 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 Elmwood Park. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Felician University

Lodi, NJ 2.9 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 50.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,602
Avg net price $40,045/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,300
Out‑of‑state$39,300
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bergen Community College

Paramus, NJ 3.5 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 63.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,624
Avg net price $10,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Newark, NJ 11.8 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 86.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,276
Avg net price $16,504/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 90%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ 37.4 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 57.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 83%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,726
Avg net price $20,503/yr
Tuition
In‑state$37,732
Out‑of‑state$37,732
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ 84.5 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 76.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,479
Avg net price $18,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ 98.1 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 78%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,988
Avg net price $22,408/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,574
Out‑of‑state$26,932
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Stockton University

Galloway, NJ 100.0 miles from Elmwood Park BOC Score 68.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,602
Avg net price $20,670/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Forensic Science Wages Near Elmwood Park

Elmwood Park is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New Jersey statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$81,670New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$72,531
Detective and Criminal Investigator$106,440New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$94,529
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$105,540New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$93,730

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.


Elmwood Park at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population21,287Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$100,852Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+35.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)112.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Elmwood Park-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Elmwood Park, NJ?

Our directory has 30 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Elmwood Park. The closest is Bergen Community College in Paramus, NJ (3.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is CUNY Queensborough Community College (21.6 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Elmwood Park?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Elmwood Park are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($106,440), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($105,540), Forensic Science Technician ($81,670). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New Jersey statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Garfield instead of Elmwood Park?

Garfield, NJ is 1.9 miles from Elmwood 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 Elmwood Park an affordable place to study forensic science?

Elmwood Park’s median household income of $100,852 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elmwood Park while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and New Jersey 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 Elmwood Park

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

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.