by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 31 U.S. colleges awarded 632 degrees and certificates in Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 71% of graduates. College Factual ranks 18 schools in its 2027 Best Criminalistics and Criminal Science Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $51,422 one year after completing, rising to $69,868 after four years.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., criminalistics and criminal science is a widely-pursued major, with 632 degrees awarded annually. 31 colleges award criminalistics and criminal science degrees, an average of 20 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 87.
By level, the 632 awards include 66 certificates, 7 associate degrees, 446 bachelor’s degrees, 109 master’s degrees and 4 doctorates.
Women earned 81% of criminalistics and criminal science degrees and certificates in the latest year (512 of 632). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are Hispanic or Latino (260) and White (246), and international students earned 4.
College Factual ranks 18 schools in its 2027 Best Criminalistics and Criminal Science Schools ranking, including 12 for bachelor’s degrees and 5 for master’s degrees. It also ranks criminalistics and criminal science schools within 9 states. In all, 31 colleges offer criminalistics and criminal science programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Criminalistics and Criminal Science Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common criminalistics and criminal science credential is the bachelor’s degree: 446 of the 632 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to criminalistics and criminal science call most for Active Listening, Speaking and Critical Thinking, and for knowledge of Law and Government, Public Safety and Security and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning and Oral Expression.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a criminalistics and criminal science degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 66 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 7 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 446 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 109 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 4 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to criminalistics and criminal science, at 30.7%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 30.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 24.0% |
| Some college courses | 16.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 12.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 11.1% |
| Master’s degree | 2.5% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.8% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.5% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
Source: O*NET Online.
10 occupations are related to Criminalistics and Criminal Science, with an average median salary of $71,742; the strongest outlook belongs to Detectives and Criminal Investigators, at 14.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Law Enforcement Specialist, Investigator, Criminalist and Police Officer.
The occupation related to criminalistics and criminal science with the most projected jobs is Police Identification and Records Officers, at 532,882.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Police Identification and Records Officers | 532,882 | 7.1% |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 469,816 | 14.5% |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | 449,456 | 2.0% |
| Customs and Border Protection Officers | 349,535 | -1.2% |
| Intelligence Analysts | 313,116 | 11.7% |
| Quality Control Analysts | 105,873 | 12.9% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | 71,781 | 0.4% |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | 52,113 | 12.0% |
Criminalistics and Criminal Science graduates earn a median $51,422 one year after completing their program, $69,868 after four years and $58,543 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $51,422 |
| 4 years | $69,868 |
| 5 years | $58,543 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to criminalistics and criminal science is Remote Sensing Technicians, with a median salary of $99,834.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Remote Sensing Technicians | $99,834 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $95,957 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,449 |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $85,117 |
| Intelligence Analysts | $65,483 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $64,492 |
| Police Identification and Records Officers | $61,847 |
| Quality Control Analysts | $53,423 |
Criminalistics and Criminal Science has 8 similar majors in the Law Enforcement & Firefighting field, which together award 9,902 degrees a year; the largest are Forensic Science and Technology (5,123), Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism (2,476) and Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy (1,714). Browse all Law Enforcement & Firefighting majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
