Best Forensic Science Schools Near Concord, NC (2026)

Concord, North Carolina has 12 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $2,040 to $25,212 per year for indexed programs. Concord has a population of about 106,518. Median household income is $84,752 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 41.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $71,460 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Science Schools to Concord

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

#1

Central Piedmont Community College

Charlotte, NC 16.4 miles from Concord BOC Score 52.6
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,865
Avg net price $3,345/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Gaston College

Dallas, NC 31.9 miles from Concord BOC Score 51.1
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,386
Avg net price $6,592/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,186
Out‑of‑state$9,330
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

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

#3

Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, NC 42.2 miles from Concord BOC Score 50.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,977
Avg net price $10,528/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Forsyth Technical Community College

Winston-Salem, NC 51.0 miles from Concord BOC Score 52.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,139
Avg net price $7,200/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 66

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Surry Community College

Dobson, NC 68.6 miles from Concord BOC Score 57.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,012
Avg net price $4,961/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Sandhills Community College

Pinehurst, NC 70.3 miles from Concord BOC Score 58.9
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,656
Avg net price $4,157/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

St. Andrews University

Laurinburg, NC 79.4 miles from Concord
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Appalachian State University

Boone, NC 81.2 miles from Concord BOC Score 69.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,836
Avg net price $16,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Forensic Science Wages Near Concord

Concord is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$59,240Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$60,884
Detective and Criminal Investigator$71,460Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$73,443
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$63,190Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$64,943

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.


Concord at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population106,518Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$84,752Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+41.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Concord-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Concord, NC?

Our directory has 12 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Concord. The closest is Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, NC (16.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Alamance Community College (85.4 miles). 10 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Concord are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($71,460), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($63,190), Forensic Science Technician ($59,240). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Kannapolis instead of Concord?

Kannapolis, NC is 5.7 miles from Concord 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 Concord an affordable place to study forensic science?

Concord’s median household income of $84,752 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Concord while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Concord

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

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.