State College, Pennsylvania has 9 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $4,752 to $42,944 per year for indexed programs. State College has a population of about 40,669. Median household income is $47,132 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 70.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the State College, PA metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $90,250 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Forensic Science Schools to State College
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer forensic science programs near State College, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from State College 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 State College.
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
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
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
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
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
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,976
Avg net price
$22,051/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 59%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Pennsylvania schools on the Pennsylvania forensic science page.
Forensic Science Wages Near State College
State College is part of the State College, PA metro area (BLS area code 44300). 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 | $63,616 |
| Detective and Criminal Investigator | $90,250 | State College, PA | $93,233 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $70,510 | State College, PA | $72,841 |
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.
State College at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 40,669 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $47,132 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 70.7% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 96.8 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other State College-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs
- Lewistown, PA – 20.0 mi away (21,854 pop)
- Altoona, PA – 34.6 mi away (76,943 pop)
- Williamsport, PA – 52.8 mi away (55,100 pop)
- Milton, PA – 54.7 mi away (30,198 pop)
- Sunbury, PA – 56.1 mi away (28,544 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited forensic science schools are near State College, PA?
Our directory has 9 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near State College. The closest is Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus in University Park, PA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Seton Hill University (95.3 miles). 6 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying forensic science roles near State College?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near State College are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($90,250), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($70,510), 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 Lewistown instead of State College?
Lewistown, PA is 20.0 miles from State College 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 State College an affordable place to study forensic science?
State College’s median household income of $47,132 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in State College 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 State College
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for State College:
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- Forensic Accounting programs in State College, PA
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- International Business programs in State College, PA
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- Nonprofit Management programs in State College, PA
- Operations Management programs in State College, PA
- Public Administration programs in State College, PA
- Real Estate programs in State College, PA
- Recreation Management programs in State College, PA
- Retail Management programs in State College, PA
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- Statistics programs in State College, PA
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- Corrections programs in State College, PA
- Crime Analysis programs in State College, PA
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in State College, PA
- Criminology programs in State College, PA
- Cybercrime programs in State College, PA
- Emergency Management programs in State College, PA
- Fire Science programs in State College, PA
- Legal Services programs in State College, PA
- Legal Studies programs in State College, PA
- Paralegal programs in State College, PA
- Security Management programs in State College, PA
- Cloud Computing programs in State College, PA
- Computer Engineering programs in State College, PA
- Innovation programs in State College, PA
- Mobile App Development programs in State College, PA
- Software Development programs in State College, PA
- User Experience programs in State College, PA
- Web Development programs in State College, PA
- Artificial Intelligence programs in State College, PA
- Machine Learning programs in State College, PA
- Supply Chain Management programs in State College, PA
- Data Analytics programs in State College, PA
- Public Health programs in State College, PA
- Human Resources programs in State College, PA
- Project Management programs in State College, PA
- Special Education programs in State College, PA
- Homeland Security programs in State College, PA
- Marketing programs in State College, PA
- Finance programs in State College, PA
- Kinesiology programs in State College, PA
- Sports Management programs in State College, PA
- Early Childhood Education programs in State College, PA
- Elementary Education programs in State College, PA
- Biology programs in State College, PA
- Communications programs in State College, PA
- Graphic Design programs in State College, PA
- Human Services programs in State College, PA
- MBA programs in State College, PA
- Criminal Justice programs in State College, PA
- Nursing programs in State College, PA
- Business Administration programs in State College, PA
- Computer Science programs in State College, PA
- Psychology programs in State College, PA
- Education programs in State College, PA
- Engineering programs in State College, PA
- Technology programs in State College, PA
- Liberal Arts programs in State College, PA
- Healthcare programs in State College, PA
- Cybersecurity programs in State College, PA
- Accounting programs in State College, PA
- Healthcare Administration programs in State College, PA
- Social Work programs in State College, PA
- Counseling programs in State College, 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.
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