Forensic psychologist education requirements

Q: What job can you get with a forensic psychology degree?

There are many job possibilities available to anyone with a forensic psychology degree. The variety of opportunities and the salary range is often dependent on the level of your degree. An undergraduate degree in forensic psychology will help you secure a range of positions within the field. A bachelor's degree will qualify you for positions ranging from a social worker and a victim advocate to police or probation officer. These occupations range in average salary from $42,000 to $55,000 annually.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a forensic psychologist. Forensic psychologists usually study clinical psychology, psychology, or counseling psychology. 36% of forensic psychologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 202 real forensic psychologist resumes to see exactly what forensic psychologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for forensic psychologists are the Carlos Albizu University and the Carlos Albizu University.

There are also many online forensic psychologist courses to help get the education required to be a forensic psychologist.

What education do you need to become a forensic psychologist?

What degree do you need to be a forensic psychologist?

The most common degree for forensic psychologists is bachelor's degree, with 36% of forensic psychologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 36% and doctoral degree degree at 23%.

Bachelor's, 36%

Doctorate, 36%

Master's, 23%

Associate, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a forensic psychologist?

You should major in clinical psychology to become a forensic psychologist. 34% of forensic psychologists major in clinical psychology. Other common majors for a forensic psychologist include psychology and counseling psychology.

Clinical Psychology, 34%

Psychology, 30%

Counseling Psychology, 13%

Business, 3%

Other Majors, 20%

Most common colleges for forensic psychologists

Forensic psychologists often get their degrees at Carlos Albizu University, Alliant International University, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for forensic psychologists in the US based on their resumes.

Forensic psychologist common college	Percentages
Carlos Albizu University	12.20%
Alliant International University	9.76%
University of Florida	9.76%
Florida Institute of Technology	7.32%
Wayne State University	7.32%

Show more common forensic psychologist colleges

Best majors for forensic psychologists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Clinical Psychology	33.8%
2	Psychology	30.4%
3	Counseling Psychology	12.8%
4	Business	2.7%
5	Criminal Justice	2.7%

Show more common forensic psychologist majors

Best colleges for forensic psychologists

The best colleges for forensic psychologists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

A forensic psychologist 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 psychologists. 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 psychologists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

20 best online courses for forensic psychologists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for forensic psychologists

The most affordable schools for forensic psychologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for forensic psychologists 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 psychologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forensic psychologists

The hardest universities for forensic psychologists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for forensic psychologists 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 psychologists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forensic psychologists

The easiest schools for forensic psychologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, holy names university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forensic psychologist 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 psychologists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

Average forensic psychologist salary by education level

According to our data, forensic psychologists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,229 annually. Forensic psychologists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,570.

Forensic psychologist education level	Forensic psychologist salary
Master's Degree	$74,570
Doctorate Degree	$93,229

Forensic psychologist education FAQs

What job can you get with a forensic psychology degree?

What is the best college for Forensic Psychologists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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