Best Forensic Science Schools Near Franklin, TN (2026)

Franklin, Tennessee has 1 accredited school offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $10,266 to $31,574 per year for indexed programs. Franklin has a population of about 85,575. Median household income is $115,000 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Forensic Science Technician at a median $78,480 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Forensic Science Schools to Franklin

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

#1

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TN 28.0 miles from Franklin BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,541
Avg net price $13,359/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Union University

Jackson, TN 113.5 miles from Franklin BOC Score 58.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,990
Avg net price $27,171/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Tennessee Wesleyan University

Athens, TN 131.0 miles from Franklin BOC Score 48.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,989
Avg net price $14,836/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Lincoln Memorial University

Harrogate, TN 183.4 miles from Franklin BOC Score 51.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,956
Avg net price $20,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, TN 251.7 miles from Franklin BOC Score 51.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,859
Avg net price $15,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

King University

Bristol, TN 265.4 miles from Franklin BOC Score 56.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,831
Avg net price $22,347/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Forensic Science Wages Near Franklin

Franklin is part of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN metro area (BLS area code 34980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Tennessee statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$78,480Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$81,495
Detective and Criminal Investigator$78,460Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$81,475
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$68,780Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN$71,423

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.


Franklin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population85,575Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$115,000Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+64.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)96.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Franklin-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Franklin, TN?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Franklin. The closest is Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN (28.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Middle Tennessee State University (28.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Franklin are: Forensic Science Technician ($78,480), Detective and Criminal Investigator ($78,460), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($68,780). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Tennessee statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brentwood instead of Franklin?

Brentwood, TN is 6.5 miles from Franklin 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 Franklin an affordable place to study forensic science?

Franklin’s median household income of $115,000 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Franklin while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Tennessee 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 Franklin

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.