Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has 28 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $9,992 to $57,150 per year for indexed programs. Harrisburg has a population of about 50,092. Median household income is $47,783 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer at a median $84,470 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to Harrisburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near Harrisburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
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
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
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
Acceptance rate
84%
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,460
Avg net price
$18,659/yr
TuitionIn‑state$46,314
Out‑of‑state$46,314
Key stats- Retention rate: 74%
- Programs offered: 21
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
74%
Graduation rate
53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,015
Avg net price
$27,970/yr
TuitionIn‑state$39,870
Out‑of‑state$39,870
Key stats- Retention rate: 64%
- Programs offered: 26
Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher Education · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$138,767
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,336
Avg net price
$29,466/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,648
Avg net price
$38,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near Harrisburg
Harrisburg is part of the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA metro area (BLS area code 25420). 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 | $62,160 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $62,979 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $80,770 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $81,834 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $84,470 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $85,583 |
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.
Harrisburg at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 50,092 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $47,783 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 26.3% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 98.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Harrisburg-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- York, PA – 22.9 mi away (232,796 pop)
- Lebanon, PA – 24.7 mi away (77,839 pop)
- Hanover, PA – 32.4 mi away (67,480 pop)
- Lancaster, PA – 34.7 mi away (401,205 pop)
- Shamokin, PA – 39.4 mi away (29,054 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near Harrisburg, PA?
Our directory has 28 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Harrisburg. The closest is Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in Harrisburg, PA (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Baltimore (68.5 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near Harrisburg?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Harrisburg are: Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($84,470), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($80,770), Forensic Science Technician ($62,160). 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 York instead of Harrisburg?
York, PA is 22.9 miles from Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg an affordable place to study forensic science?
Harrisburg’s median household income of $47,783 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Harrisburg 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 Harrisburg
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Harrisburg:
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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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