The best forensic science colleges in the United States

The Rankings

After much consideration and consultation, here we present to you the 5 best forensic science bachelors programs in the United States. We have to admit, the competition was stiff. In just the last few years, multiple programs have come to the forefront, reaping the whirlwind of incoming freshmen who grew up watching CSI or Forensic Files. Unfortunately, this is not enough, particularly if you want your graduates to find gainful employment when they leave.

Our list here is based on several key factors. Primary among them is accreditation. The American Academy of Forensic Science is the big boy here. Getting accredited by AAFS (specifically, its Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission) give you a seat at the adult’s table. While we concede that there are several admirable programs without AAFS accreditation, we can state almost unequivocally that such programs will seek accreditation in the future. With work, they can achieve it. However, those programs that already maintain their AAFS accreditation are, at the very least, more mature than those programs that have not. Having seen the accreditation process firsthand, we can say that it is thorough and complete. An online course for unlimited freshman enrollment isn’t going to cut it. The AAFS imprimatur is not to be ignored. It ranks first among our criteria for selection of the best forensic science bachelors programs in America.

Second only to accreditation status is reputation. Some schools have it, and some do not. Be careful not to conflate the kind of name recognition that comes with athletic prowess with academic prowess. Many schools have name recognition only because of the visibility of its athletic wear. What we’re talking about here is academic accomplishment — the heft that is lent by having particular schools listed on your CV.

Third, our ranking of the best schools is tied to flexibility. That is, we give particular weight to those schools who recognize that their incoming students may not know which branch of forensics they want to specialize in. How many 17-year-olds, honestly, know they want to be forensic chemists… or forensic biologists…. or forensic anthropologists? When we were in graduate school for forensic science, 80% of the forensic disciplines today did not even exist. Today, fields such as forensic odontology, forensic psychology and forensic pediatrics were either non-existent, or in their infant stages. Demanding that an incoming freshman declare his or her major from the get-go is just not good practice, for it fails to recognize that nearly 80% of undergraduates change their majors at some point in their undergraduate careers. To this end, we give particular weight to those schools whose programs begin generally, offering introductory courses in crime scene investigation, basic forensic biology and chemistry, and survey courses on digital forensics, forensic anthropology, arson investigation, forensic accounting, and forensic DNA. Only then, equipped with this first experience, is any college student equipped to choose a path. Schools that adopt this approach are, in our humble opinions, schools that are staffed with real forensic scientists — those who have practiced the trade, or themselves knowledgeable of the travails of higher education in forensic science.

So let us begin. Herewith, we present to you, kind reader, the Top 5 Undergraduate Programs in the Forensic Science in the United States.

#5 – The Ohio University (Ohio)

B.S. in Forensic Chemistry

The forensic chemistry program at OU is going on four decades of graduating forensic chemists, a testament to the prescience of OU long before forensic science was the cool thing to do. Out of approximately 50 chemistry majors graduated by the department, fewer than two dozen pursue the forensic chemistry discipline — no mean feat, considering the more rigorous expertise required and technical instrumentation to be mastered. OU has also successfully grown its program each year, nearly quadrupling the student enrollment in two decades despite the space limitations demanded by HPLC, GC and the host of equipment that forensic chemists are required to know and use.

OU maintains close collaboration with several labs in the area, from coroners offices to the state patrol. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Cincinnati also works with OU’s forensic chemistry program graduates. The importance of connections like this cannot be overstated: often the foot-in-the-door that an internship or lab experience offers is more valuable, come job-hunting time, than the best interview performance of your life. Jobs notwithstanding, the opportunity to work in a specific lab can tell students whether or not the field is even right for them to begin with.

The core requirements of OU are no joke: you’re looking at physics, a couple calculus courses, and a core chemistry regimen that covers the Big 4: inorganic, organic, physical and bio. The more stringent hard-science requirements seen in OU’s program is reflective of the fact that it is a B.S. in Forensic Chemistry that is accredited — not a B.S. in Forensic Science, and not a B.A. in Criminology. Programs with less specific a bend (e.g., B.S. in Forensic Technology, for example), may eschew some of the 300- and 400- level chemistry courses in order to pack in more survey courses in biology.

OU is a school you should consider if chemistry itself would otherwise be a degree you would pursue. If not, we urge you to consider carefully whether a general degree in forensic science, or perhaps in more social-science based criminal justice degree, might be more to your liking. The B.S. in Forensic Chemistry at OU is a serious degree, one that will require study and persistence. OU has been working for four decades to perfect it. For this, and may of the reasons we cite here, Ohio University is our number 5 pick of the best forensic science undergraduate programs in the United States.

#4 – Loyola University (Chicago)

B.S. in Forensic Science

Loyola offers a B.S. in Forensic Science, with the option to minor in Computer Crime and Forensics. Completed at the Quinlan Life Science Education and Research Center, the degree offers the dual-benefit of top-notch laboratory space, combined with real-world experience in the nearby Chicago Cook County judicial system. We can’t overstate the importance of such proximity in having a well-rounded undergraduate experience in forensics, or the first-hand experience that more directly translates to better employment opportunities after graduation.

Two organizations at Loyola stand out in particular for forensics undergrads: the FSSO (Forensic Science Student Organizations), and CARTE (Center for the Advancement of Research, Training & Education). FSSO is heavily focused on improving the undergraduate forensics experience, whether through trips and visits, hosting outside academics to lecture, and addressing the concerns of the students. CARTE, a program under the CJ division, also works to bring in top lecturers in criminal justice issues, principally for undergraduates in the criminal justice program, but also of benefit to those in the forensic science bachelors program.

As stated, Loyola also offers a minor in computer crime and forensics. Offered through the CJ and Computer Science Departments, you can enroll in the 6 required courses without any programming background. Given the number of forensic science jobs that focus on digital evidence search, seizure and analysis, this is quite a bargain. You may practically double your job opportunities for just these six courses. We strongly encourage students to consider this option. Given that no hard-skill computer programming is required, anyone with some kind of computer use background can quickly learn the EnCase and FTK skills needed to excel here.

#3 – University of New Haven (Connecticut)

B.S. in Forensic Science

The University of New Haven and Henry Lee, the program’s namesake and icon of forensic science, have worked for years to elevate the University of New Haven’s undergraduate program in the public eye. Among the first to achieve accreditation by the American Academy of Forensic Science, the $15M Henry Lee superdome of forensic science offers a first-rate education for aspiring forensic science undergraduates.

The University of New Haven offers something a little unique in the world of forensic science: the chance to study an applied science like forensics in the northeast, a region that often eschews the applied sciences for the pure sciences. This proximity is not to be understated: the northeast United States houses world-class programs that undergird forensic science: chemistry, biology, physics and medicine. Within a few hours drive, you’re in reach of no fewer than 10 of the greatest research powerhouses the world has ever known. Does this impact the undergraduate education at UNH? Not directly. But the intimacy of the northeast is something you will definitely feel while studying at the University of New Haven. The 30 minute drive to New York City, as just one example, illustrates the ease of travel and opportunities both for undergraduates looking for opportunities elsewhere, and visiting faculty to the University of New Haven. Forensics is, after all, an applied discipline drawn from other sciences, and built from them equally.

New Haven itself has undergone something of a renaissance of sorts in the last two decades. It has, by many accounts, become an icon of northeastern seaboard living — certainly safer than it’s ever been, but also the cultural hub that many undergraduates aspire to. New Haven is just in reach of so many things, academic and social, but sufficiently insulated to provide the first-rate undergraduate program that Dr. Lee and so many have built. For this, and the many reasons we mention, the University of New Haven, in New Haven, Connecticut, is our choice for the third best undergraduate forensic science program in the United States.

#2 – The Pennsylvania State University

B.S. in Forensic Science

Penn State’s undergraduate program in forensic science is no joke. By all measures, the university, as well as the faculty and staff assigned to the program, take the education of admitted students seriously. Above and beyond just the courses, one gets the sense that Penn State is truly trying to develop a unique program among the nearly 40 accredited forensic science bachelors programs in the United States. Just one example: the crime scene house. In our experience, establishing, maintaining and developing a crime scene house is no mean feat: it takes exceptional planning among all involved, from the city who might be asking for taxes, to the university who’s asking about liability, to neighbors who wonder what really is going on in that strange house across the street. That Penn State has been able to establish a crime scene house for its undergraduates, we believe, is testament to their conviction to provide as true to real-world an experience as they can for their students.

Penn’s undergraduate program in forensic science also goes a step further in preparing students for arguably the scariest part of a new career: court testimony. In particular, the very first testimony, on the first trial, where the defense attorney knows full well that the just-graduate student on the stand is a newbie — never testified, and never before been adjudicated an expert in the field. This, for anyone, can be a harrowing experience. Penn takes exceptional measures, through its moot court testimony program, to ensure that students are able to sit on the stand, address the jury in an agreeable manner, avoid quirks of speech and manner, simplify science, and be true to the science they are paid to know. We cannot overstate the importance of programs like this, and commend Penn for it.

We were also struck by the exceptional efforts of Penn to link its undergraduate and undergraduate programs together in its so-called IUG program, or integrated undergraduate-graduate. In this program, juniors can apply to the combined B.S.-M.S. program. Upon admission, this program allows students to finish the bachelors and masters degrees in 5 years. Provided undergraduates are admitted, the senior year of college and the masters program are rolled into just two years. Penn deserves credit for developing such a unique experience, akin to the long-established MD/Ph.D. programs and the nascent MD/JD programs that are springing up at universities around the country. Developing such a program is not easy, as it demands extensive collaboration between undergraduate and graduate faculty who may not work together extensively throughout the year, and may have different goals for their students. Successful collaboration of this sort among diverse faculty speaks volumes about a school’s commitment to students first. For this, and the other reasons we mentioned, Penn State is our choice for the second best forensic science undergraduate program in America.

#1 – West Virginia University

B.S. in Forensic and Investigative Sciences

West Virginia’s Forensic Science under graduate program has been around for a long, long time. In the world of forensic science, this translates into “pre-CSI.” In hipster speak, WVU was doing forensic science before it was cool.

We don’t mean to seem flippant here. WVU had to build rigor and accessibility without the advertising force that are the TV programs CSI and Forensic Files. That it was able to achieve such success, without such free advertising, is testament to the program’s ability to attract students, educate them, and get them gainfully employed after they graduate. WVU, being a mere 5 hours from the forensic science employer powerhouse that is Washington, DC. may have played a role. We believe that the prescience and drive of the program’s founder played a more significant role. Their efforts have lead to what we believe, today, is the best forensic science undergraduate program in America.

While WVU, for many of its undergraduates, is a popular choice for the best graduating high school students in West Virginia, for its undergraduate program in forensic science, it is demonstrably world class. The vast majority of its students hail from out-of-state. While this fact, in and of itself, is not sufficient to rate a program, it does illustrate the steep premium that some students are willing to pay — in terms of out-of-state tuition — to enjoy the benefits that some programs afford. Through its comprehensive curriculum, 420-hour summer internship, and quick accessibility to Washington, DC, WVU’s program regularly graduates some of the world’s best forensic science graduates.

For this, and many other reasons, the undergraduate program in forensic science at West Virginia University is our choice as the best forensic science college program in the America.

Become “in-state,” even when you’re not

Here’s a tip on saving some money when it comes to paying for your forensic science degree. Many years ago, several states got together and agreed to allow something called tuition reciprocity for their students. What this means is that if you want to enroll in a very specialized program — aeronautical engineering, let’s say, or forensic science — there are states out there that will let you enroll as if you were an in-state student. We can’t overstate how huge this is for you as you consider where to go to school. So when you look through the list of national programs on forensic science, just bear in mind that you may indeed qualify for in-state tuition even though you are not a resident, nor have ever been a resident. We’ve put together a brief description of reciprocity here.