Best Forensic Science Schools Near Manassas, VA (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Manassas, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs, with tuition ranging from $26,610 to $33,903 per year for indexed programs. Manassas has a population of about 42,674. Median household income is $117,919 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning forensic science-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $156,750 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Forensic Science Schools to Manassas

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 11.2 miles from Manassas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale, VA 14.6 miles from Manassas
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,557
Avg net price $9,919/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 82.8 miles from Manassas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 133.7 miles from Manassas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 146.4 miles from Manassas
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,349
Avg net price $11,762/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 64

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Ferrum College

Ferrum, VA 187.1 miles from Manassas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,296
Avg net price $20,082/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Radford University

Radford, VA 200.7 miles from Manassas
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
60.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,739
Avg net price $14,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 71

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

New River Community College

Dublin, VA 208.6 miles from Manassas
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,025
Avg net price $6,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Forensic Science Wages Near Manassas

Manassas is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Forensic Science Technician$85,070Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$78,118
Detective and Criminal Investigator$156,750Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$143,939
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$84,000Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$77,135

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.

Manassas at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population42,674Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$117,919Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+33.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Manassas-Area Cities With Forensic Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited forensic science schools are near Manassas, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering forensic science programs near Manassas. The closest is George Mason University in Fairfax, VA (11.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Maryland Global Campus (36.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying forensic science-related roles near Manassas are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($156,750), Forensic Science Technician ($85,070), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($84,000). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fairfax instead of Manassas?

Fairfax, VA is 12.3 miles from Manassas 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 Manassas an affordable place to study forensic science?

Manassas’s median household income of $117,919 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Manassas while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia 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 Manassas

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

Data verified: August 31, 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 Virginia (2026)