Forensic science is one of the most searched college majors and one of the most misunderstood. The shows make it look like every graduate walks into a lab, runs a DNA test before lunch, and solves a murder by dinner. The real path is more specific, and the school you pick has a lot to do with whether the degree pays off.
What "best colleges for forensic science" really means
There is no single number one. The right school depends on your strength in science, the degree level you want, and where you are willing to live and work. A ranking that puts one campus above another rarely tells you the thing that gets you hired.
Hiring managers at crime labs and medical examiner offices look at two things a magazine cannot rank for you: whether the program is accredited by the field's own body, and whether the coursework is built on real chemistry and biology. The strongest programs in the country share that pattern. Once you know it, the list of schools worth your time gets shorter and clearer.
Start with FEPAC accreditation, not rankings
The single most important filter is FEPAC accreditation. FEPAC stands for the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, created by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. It evaluates college forensic programs against national standards for coursework, faculty, and lab facilities.1
This is the part nobody tells you: many degrees labeled "forensic science" are not FEPAC-accredited. Some are criminal-justice programs wearing a forensic name, with little of the analytical chemistry and biology a crime lab expects. Employers know the difference, and many labs and agencies prefer or expect a degree from an accredited program. Checking a school's FEPAC status is a five-minute step that tells you more than any top-ten list.
Not every degree with "forensic science" in the title is FEPAC-accredited. Some are criminal-justice degrees with a forensic label and little lab chemistry. Check any program against the FEPAC directory before you apply.1
Why crime labs want a real science foundation
The second thing that separates a useful degree from a dead end is science. Crime-lab roles like DNA analyst, forensic chemist, and toxicologist are science jobs first. They test blood, drugs, fibers, and trace evidence using instruments and statistics, and they demand a working command of chemistry or biology.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that forensic science technicians typically enter the field with a bachelor's degree, and lab-based roles usually expect a strong natural-science background.2 A program heavy on television-style crime themes and light on organic chemistry, instrumentation, and quantitative reasoning can leave you underqualified for the exact jobs you enrolled to get.
+13% by 2034
Projected growth in forensic science technician jobs, about 2,900 U.S. openings a year.
If you are strong in chemistry or biology, look closely at programs that let you major in that science with a forensic concentration. A chemistry degree with forensic coursework keeps more doors open than a narrow forensic-only degree if lab hiring is slow in your area.
A program that leans on true-crime themes and skips analytical chemistry, instrumentation, and statistics can leave you underqualified for crime-lab work. Public and private labs test for a science foundation, not television knowledge.
Strong colleges for forensic science, program by program
The schools below all run FEPAC-accredited forensic programs at the bachelor's level, the master's level, or both. They are listed alphabetically, not ranked, because the best fit depends on you. For each, the table notes the accredited degree and what makes the program notable, whether that is a named lab, a tie to an agency, or a location near working crime labs.
| School | FEPAC-accredited degree | What makes it notable |
|---|---|---|
| George Washington University | Master's | MFS in forensic chemistry and forensic molecular biology; Washington, DC, near federal labs and agencies.3 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Bachelor's | BS blends biology, chemistry, and physics across pattern, DNA, and chemistry lab tracks.4 |
| Michigan State University | Master's | MS was among the first FEPAC-accredited programs; concentrate in forensic chemistry or forensic anthropology.5 |
| Penn State | Bachelor's and graduate | Chemistry and biology emphases taught in dedicated crime-scene and crime-lab training facilities.6 |
| Syracuse University | Master's | Advanced Laboratory track; its institute works with the FBI and the New York City medical examiner's office.7 |
| Towson University | Bachelor's and master's | BS in forensic chemistry plus the only FEPAC-accredited master's in Maryland; DNA and trace tracks.8 |
| University of Central Florida | Bachelor's | Degree run out of the chemistry department; home to the National Center for Forensic Science.9 |
| University of New Haven | Bachelor's and master's | Founded in 1975 by Dr. Henry C. Lee, inside the Henry C. Lee College.10 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Bachelor's and master's | Forensic biology, forensic chemistry, and physical evidence tracks in Richmond.11 |
| West Virginia University | Bachelor's and master's | Forensic and investigative science degrees; the BS is reaccredited through 2030.12 |
A few patterns stand out. The University of New Haven and Michigan State run two of the oldest forensic programs in the country, and both feed graduates into working labs.510 West Virginia University and Virginia Commonwealth University are public universities whose forensic departments hold FEPAC accreditation at both the bachelor's and master's level, which makes them strong value picks for in-state students.1211 George Washington University sits in Washington, DC, within reach of federal agencies, and its master's degrees in forensic chemistry and forensic molecular biology are FEPAC-accredited.3 Syracuse University's institute lists working relationships with the FBI and the New York City medical examiner's office, the kind of connection that turns into internships.7 The University of Central Florida houses the National Center for Forensic Science and runs its forensic degree through the chemistry department, a sign of how science-forward it is.9 Penn State, Towson, and Loyola University Chicago round out the group with accredited, lab-heavy degrees.648
The University of New Haven's program dates to 1975, when Dr. Henry C. Lee helped start it. It now sits inside the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, named for him.10
The field is smaller than TV makes it look
Here is the reality check the shows skip. Forensic science is a small, competitive field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 2,900 openings for forensic science technicians each year across the entire country.2 That is a healthy growth rate for the size of the field, but it is a small number of jobs compared with how many students the major attracts.
Location matters more than applicants expect. State crime labs, medical examiner offices, and federal agencies cluster in specific places, and a program near one tends to have real internship pipelines into it. An accredited degree next to a working lab often beats a slightly more famous name three states away. If you are weighing where to study, it helps to look at colleges by state and where the labs actually are.
Ask each program where its recent graduates interned and got hired. Programs near a state crime lab, a medical examiner's office, or a federal agency tend to have real internship pipelines, and that pipeline is often what turns a degree into a first job.
A forensic science degree vs a chemistry or biology degree
This is the flexibility question, and it is worth thinking through before you commit. A narrow forensic-science-only degree points at one field. A chemistry or biology degree with a forensic focus points at forensics and at every other lab, graduate program, and science employer that hires chemists and biologists.
If crime-lab hiring is slow in your region the year you graduate, the broader science degree gives you somewhere else to go. Several of the accredited programs above are built exactly this way, run out of a chemistry department or offered as a science major with a forensic concentration. If you are still comparing fields, our overview of degrees and majors and our breakdown of college ROI by major can help you weigh the tradeoff between a specialized degree and a flexible one.
None of this means a dedicated forensic degree is a bad choice. It means the safest version of that choice is one grounded in real science, so the degree works even if your first plan does not.
How to choose the best college for forensic science for you
Put the pieces together into a short checklist you can run on any school:
Confirm FEPAC accreditation first. If a program is not on the FEPAC list, ask why, and weigh it carefully against one that is.1 Match the program to your own strength in science, and favor degrees built on chemistry and biology over ones built on true-crime themes. Check the degree level that fits your goal, since many lab roles value or expect a master's while some entry roles accept a bachelor's.2 Look hard at location and internship pipelines, because proximity to a crime lab often decides who gets hired. And weigh cost against outcome, since several of the strongest programs are public universities. Our guides to the best value colleges and state schools versus the Ivy League can help you judge whether a pricier name is worth it here.
Run every school through those five checks and the phrase "best colleges for forensic science" stops being a ranking you accept and becomes a filter you control. That is the difference between a degree that decorates a wall and one that gets you into a lab.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a forensic science degree worth it? It can be, if the program is FEPAC-accredited and grounded in real chemistry and biology. The field is small and competitive, so an accredited, science-heavy degree near working crime labs is worth far more than a general program with a forensic label. The weak versions of this degree are where the dead-end reputation comes from.
What is FEPAC accreditation, and why does it matter? FEPAC is the Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission, created by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. It reviews forensic programs against national standards for coursework, faculty, and labs. Many crime labs and agencies prefer or expect graduates of accredited programs, which makes it the first thing to check.1
Should I major in forensic science, or in chemistry or biology? Both paths can lead to a lab. A chemistry or biology degree with a forensic concentration tends to be more flexible, since it qualifies you for forensic work and for every other job that hires chemists and biologists. A dedicated forensic degree is fine when it is built on a strong science core.
Do you need a master's degree to work in a crime lab? Not always. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that forensic science technicians typically enter with a bachelor's degree.2 Some specialized roles and many competitive lab positions favor a master's, which is why several of the accredited programs above offer both.
Which college is the best for forensic science? There is no single best college for forensic science. The right choice depends on your strength in science, the degree level you want, your budget, and how close a program sits to working crime labs and internships. Use FEPAC accreditation and science depth as your filter, not a ranking.
Can you get a forensics job without a FEPAC-accredited degree? Sometimes, especially with a strong chemistry or biology degree and relevant lab experience. But an accredited forensic degree removes a common obstacle, since some employers screen for it. If you attend a non-accredited program, a heavy science foundation and a good internship matter even more.
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Footnotes
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American Academy of Forensic Sciences. (2025). Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). https://www.aafs.org/FEPAC ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2025). Occupational Outlook Handbook: Forensic science technicians. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/forensic-science-technicians.htm ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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George Washington University. (2025). Programs, Department of Forensic Sciences. https://forensicsciences.columbian.gwu.edu/programs ↩ ↩2
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Loyola University Chicago. (2025). Forensic Science. https://www.luc.edu/forensicscience/ ↩ ↩2
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Michigan State University. (2025). Forensic Science, M.S., School of Criminal Justice. https://cj.msu.edu/academics/programs/forensic-science-ms ↩ ↩2
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Penn State. (2025). Forensic Science Program, Eberly College of Science. https://science.psu.edu/bmb/forensics/about ↩ ↩2
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Syracuse University. (2025). FEPAC Accreditation, Forensic and National Security Sciences Institute. https://artsandsciences.syracuse.edu/forensic-and-national-security-sciences-institute-fnssi/graduate-programs/fepac-accreditation-and-graduate-program-highlights/ ↩ ↩2
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Towson University. (2025). Forensic Chemistry Major, Department of Chemistry & Forensic Science. https://www.towson.edu/fcsm/departments/chemistry/undergrad/forensic/ ↩ ↩2
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University of Central Florida. (2025). Forensic Science (BS). https://www.ucf.edu/degree/forensic-science-bs/ ↩ ↩2
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University of New Haven. (2025). Bachelor of Science in Forensic Science, Henry C. Lee College. https://www.newhaven.edu/lee-college/undergraduate-programs/forensic-science/index.php ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Virginia Commonwealth University. (2025). B.S. in Forensic Science, Department of Forensic Science. https://forensicscience.vcu.edu/academics/undergraduate/bs-in-forensic-science/ ↩ ↩2
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West Virginia University. (2025). FEPAC Accreditation, Department of Forensic and Investigative Science. https://forensics.wvu.edu/about/fepac-accreditation ↩ ↩2