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Forensic investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a forensic investigator. Forensic investigators usually study criminal justice, business, or computer science. 55% of forensic investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 411 real forensic investigator resumes to see exactly what forensic investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for forensic investigators are the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York.
There are also many online forensic investigator courses to help get the education required to be a forensic investigator.
There are certain forensic investigator certifications that you should consider. These forensic investigator certifications include Computer Forensics and Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE).
What education do you need to become a forensic investigator?
What degree do you need to be a forensic investigator?
- Bachelor's, 55%
- Associate, 21%
- Master's, 15%
- Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a forensic investigator?
- Criminal Justice, 43%
- Business, 10%
- Computer Science, 6%
- Accounting, 5%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for forensic investigators
| Forensic investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 8.93% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.93% |
| Auburn University-Montgomery | 7.14% |
| University of South Florida | 5.36% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.36% |
Best majors for forensic investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 42.6% |
| 2 | Business | 10.2% |
| 3 | Computer Science | 6.0% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.1% |
| 5 | Nursing | 3.4% |
Best colleges for forensic investigators
The best colleges for forensic investigators are Northeastern University, University of Chicago, and Stanford University.
A forensic investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for forensic investigators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become forensic investigators.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
20 best online courses for forensic investigators
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2. Digital Forensics Concepts
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14. Computer Forensics Fundamentals
An introduction to Computer Forensics, to demonstrate the process of going from the crime scene to the court room...
15. Learning Computer Forensics With Infinite Skills
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16. SDF: Memory Forensics 1
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17. Intermediate Computer Forensics
Learning Intermediate computer forensic skills and techniques...
18. Forensic Psychology: Criminal Profiling Certificate
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19. Surviving Digital Forensics: Link Files
A computer forensic guide for understanding LINK file evidence on Windows computer systems...
20. Investigative Journalism
How to find hidden sources. How to look for documents and people...
Top 10 most affordable universities for forensic investigators
The most affordable schools for forensic investigators are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for forensic investigators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for forensic investigators.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forensic investigators
The hardest universities for forensic investigators to get into are Northeastern University, University of Chicago, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for forensic investigators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for forensic investigators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
10. University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA • Private
Admissions rate
30%
SAT average
1,401
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forensic investigators
The easiest schools for forensic investigators to get into are Wayland Baptist University, william paterson university of new jersey, and saint martin's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forensic investigator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for forensic investigators.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
3. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
4. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average forensic investigator salary by education level
| Forensic investigator education level | Forensic investigator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,463 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,087 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,181 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,130 |
Forensic investigator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025