Forgery/fraud investigator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a forgery/fraud investigator. Forgery/fraud investigators usually study criminal justice, education, or nursing. 38% of forgery/fraud investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 24 real forgery/fraud investigator resumes to see exactly what forgery/fraud investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for forgery/fraud investigators are the College of Southern Nevada and the College of Southern Nevada.

There are also many online forgery/fraud investigator courses to help get the education required to be a forgery/fraud investigator.

What education do you need to become a forgery/fraud investigator?

What degree do you need to be a forgery/fraud investigator?

The most common degree for forgery/fraud investigators is bachelor's degree, with 38% of forgery/fraud investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 25% and high school diploma degree at 25%.

Bachelor's, 38%

High School Diploma, 25%

Associate, 25%

Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a forgery/fraud investigator?

You should major in criminal justice to become a forgery/fraud investigator. 18% of forgery/fraud investigators major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a forgery/fraud investigator include education and nursing.

Criminal Justice, 18%

Education, 9%

Nursing, 9%

Computer Information Systems, 9%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for forgery/fraud investigators

Forgery/fraud investigators often get their degrees at College of Southern Nevada, Oklahoma State University, and Bellevue College. Here are the most common colleges for forgery/fraud investigators in the US based on their resumes.

Forgery/fraud investigator common college	Percentages
College of Southern Nevada	16.67%
Oklahoma State University	16.67%
Bellevue College	16.67%
University of Oklahoma	16.67%
Louisiana Tech University	16.67%

Show more common forgery/fraud investigator colleges

Best majors for forgery/fraud investigators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	18.2%
2	Education	9.1%
3	Nursing	9.1%
4	Computer Information Systems	9.1%
5	Computer Science	9.1%

Show more common forgery/fraud investigator majors

Best colleges for forgery/fraud investigators

The best colleges for forgery/fraud investigators are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

A forgery/fraud 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 forgery/fraud 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 forgery/fraud investigators.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Indiana University Bloomington

Bloomington, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$10,681

Enrollment

32,991

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$14,460

Enrollment

39,208

20 best online courses for forgery/fraud investigators

Advertising disclosure

1. Forensic accounting, fraud investigation and fraud analytics

4.3

(657)

The 14 hour course(50casestudies) helps to understand fraud examination, forensic audit,financial crime, data analytics...

2. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction

4.5

(781)

Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...

3. Principles of Financial Accounting

4.5

(875)

Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...

4. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course

4.3

(736)

Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...

5. Forensic Accounting: Fraud Investigation! (Course 1 of 4)

4.5

(2,334)

Fraud Examination, Fraud Prevention, Fraud Detection, and Fraud Correction...

6. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

4.6

(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

7. Introductory Financial Accounting

4.7

(666)

Learn the basics of Accounting including: the accounting cycle, inventory, depreciation, receivables, and more!...

8. Accounting Made Easy: A Quick Guide to Financial Accounting

4.5

(2,757)

Accounting is not about Math, it is about concepts. And no one said it has to be hard. Learn the basics in just 2 hours!...

9. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course

4.5

(1,604)

Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...

10. Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial Analysis (Accounting)

4.5

(521)

Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics. Accounting & Financial Analysis Concepts. Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping...

11. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

4.5

(280)

Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

12. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

4.6

(16,804)

Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...

13. Financial Bookkeeping and Accountancy: Complete Accounting

4.3

(501)

A Complete Course on Book-keeping & Accounting Course For Level 1 & 2 aspirants...

14. Accounting for Corporations - Financial Accounting

4.8

(281)

Demystifying Corporate Accounting: An In-depth Exploration of Financial Transactions in Corporations...

15. Advanced Financial Accounting: Acquisitions & Consolidations

4.1

(703)

Acquisitions, Consolidations, and Reporting. Master complex concepts and applications...

16. Investigative Journalism

4.4

(379)

How to find hidden sources. How to look for documents and people...

17. Accounting 101: How to read an Accounting Balance Sheet

4.7

(2,288)

Accounting 101: Non-Accountants' Guide to Accounting. Learn Accounting. Get Paid More, and Get Promoted Faster!...

18. Accounting 101: Accounts Payable Best Practices For 2023

4.4

(1,180)

Avoid common mistakes and pitfalls when it comes to Accounts Payable. No more fraud, incorrect payments or voided checks...

19. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals

4.5

(580)

Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...

20. Financial Accounting-Depreciation Calculation & Fixed Assets

4.5

(341)

Optimizing Asset Management: Comprehensive Guide to Property, Plant, and Equipment Accounting...

Top 10 most affordable universities for forgery/fraud investigators

The most affordable schools for forgery/fraud investigators are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for forgery/fraud 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 forgery/fraud investigators.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for forgery/fraud investigators

The hardest universities for forgery/fraud investigators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for forgery/fraud 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 forgery/fraud 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for forgery/fraud investigators

The easiest schools for forgery/fraud investigators to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, mount saint mary's university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a forgery/fraud 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 forgery/fraud investigators.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average forgery/fraud investigator salary by education level

According to our data, forgery/fraud investigators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $55,735 annually. Forgery/fraud investigators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $53,498.

Forgery/fraud investigator education level	Forgery/fraud investigator salary
Master's Degree	$55,735
High School Diploma or Less	$41,898
Bachelor's Degree	$53,498
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,275

Forgery/fraud investigator education FAQs

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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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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