Altoona, Pennsylvania has 11 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,752 to $48,986 per year for indexed programs. Altoona has a population of about 43,508. Median household income is $50,171 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Pennsylvania, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $97,580 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Altoona
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Altoona, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Altoona 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 Altoona.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
61%
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,435
Avg net price
$32,875/yr
TuitionIn‑state$20,644
Out‑of‑state$41,790
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 76
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,748
Avg net price
$22,204/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 31
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$74,742
Avg net price
$37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,856
Avg net price
$25,942/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
74%
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,012
Avg net price
$18,556/yr
TuitionIn‑state$25,588
Out‑of‑state$25,588
Key stats- Retention rate: 78%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,125
Avg net price
$15,350/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 15
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,537
Avg net price
$18,235/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 29
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,055
Avg net price
$28,138/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 36
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Altoona
Altoona is part of the Altoona, PA metro area (BLS area code 11020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Forensic Science Technician | $61,580 | PA statewide | $68,804 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $97,580 | PA statewide | $109,028 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $70,560 | Altoona, PA | $78,838 |
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.
Altoona at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 43,508 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $50,171 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 19.9% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 89.5 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Altoona-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Johnstown, PA – 30.0 mi away (64,842 pop)
- State College, PA – 34.6 mi away (87,374 pop)
- Indiana, PA – 40.4 mi away (28,820 pop)
- Lewistown, PA – 43.9 mi away (21,854 pop)
- Chambersburg, PA – 56.0 mi away (51,948 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Altoona, PA?
Our directory has 11 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Altoona. The closest is Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, PA (11.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is American Public University System (89.1 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Altoona?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Altoona are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($97,580), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($70,560), Forensic Science Technician ($61,580). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Johnstown instead of Altoona?
Johnstown, PA is 30.0 miles from Altoona 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 Altoona an affordable place to study forensic science?
Altoona’s median household income of $50,171 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Altoona while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 Altoona
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Altoona:
- Business Development programs in Altoona, PA
- Construction Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Economics programs in Altoona, PA
- Financial Technology programs in Altoona, PA
- Forensic Accounting programs in Altoona, PA
- Health Information Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Hospitality Management programs in Altoona, PA
- International Business programs in Altoona, PA
- Organizational Leadership programs in Altoona, PA
- Management Information Systems programs in Altoona, PA
- Nonprofit Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Operations Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Public Administration programs in Altoona, PA
- Real Estate programs in Altoona, PA
- Recreation Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Retail Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Risk Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Statistics programs in Altoona, PA
- Taxation programs in Altoona, PA
- Corrections programs in Altoona, PA
- Crime Analysis programs in Altoona, PA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Altoona, PA
- Criminology programs in Altoona, PA
- Cybercrime programs in Altoona, PA
- Emergency Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Fire Science programs in Altoona, PA
- Legal Services programs in Altoona, PA
- Legal Studies programs in Altoona, PA
- Paralegal programs in Altoona, PA
- Security Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Cloud Computing programs in Altoona, PA
- Computer Engineering programs in Altoona, PA
- Innovation programs in Altoona, PA
- Mobile App Development programs in Altoona, PA
- Software Development programs in Altoona, PA
- User Experience programs in Altoona, PA
- Web Development programs in Altoona, PA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Altoona, PA
- Machine Learning programs in Altoona, PA
- Supply Chain Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Data Analytics programs in Altoona, PA
- Public Health programs in Altoona, PA
- Human Resources programs in Altoona, PA
- Project Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Special Education programs in Altoona, PA
- Homeland Security programs in Altoona, PA
- Marketing programs in Altoona, PA
- Finance programs in Altoona, PA
- Kinesiology programs in Altoona, PA
- Sports Management programs in Altoona, PA
- Early Childhood Education programs in Altoona, PA
- Elementary Education programs in Altoona, PA
- Biology programs in Altoona, PA
- Communications programs in Altoona, PA
- Graphic Design programs in Altoona, PA
- Human Services programs in Altoona, PA
- MBA programs in Altoona, PA
- Criminal Justice programs in Altoona, PA
- Nursing programs in Altoona, PA
- Business Administration programs in Altoona, PA
- Computer Science programs in Altoona, PA
- Psychology programs in Altoona, PA
- Education programs in Altoona, PA
- Engineering programs in Altoona, PA
- Technology programs in Altoona, PA
- Liberal Arts programs in Altoona, PA
- Healthcare programs in Altoona, PA
- Cybersecurity programs in Altoona, PA
- Accounting programs in Altoona, PA
- Healthcare Administration programs in Altoona, PA
- Social Work programs in Altoona, PA
- Counseling programs in Altoona, PA
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.
← Back to Best Forensic Science Schools in Pennsylvania (2026)
