by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 60 U.S. colleges awarded 2,736 degrees and certificates in Forensic Psychology. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 67% of graduates. College Factual ranks 37 schools in its 2027 Best Forensic Psychology Schools ranking and compares their cost in a Best Value ranking. Graduates earn a median $55,107 one year after completing, rising to $71,095 after four years.
Studying Forensic Psychology covers Forensic Psychology. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Apply Clinical, Counseling, School, And Neuropsychology Skills To The Provision Of Psychological Services Within The Criminal Justice And Civil Legal Systems, Including Consultation, Assessment, And Interventions. Includes Instruction In The Epidemiology Of Mental/behavioral Disorders, Risk Factors For Violence And Criminality, Profiling And Patterning, Psychological Testing, Prediction And Intervention Measurement, Forensic Assessment, Criminal And Civil Law And Procedures, Secure Environments, Forensic Treatment And Intervention Skills, And Professional Standards And Ethics.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., forensic psychology is a popular field of study, with 2,736 degrees awarded annually. 60 colleges award forensic psychology degrees, an average of 46 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 648.
By level, the 2,736 awards include 855 bachelor’s degrees, 1,829 master’s degrees and 52 doctorates.
Women earned 88% of forensic psychology degrees and certificates in the latest year (2,405 of 2,736). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1,188) and Hispanic or Latino (832), and international students earned 64.
College Factual ranks 37 schools in its 2027 Best Forensic Psychology Schools ranking, including 14 for bachelor’s degrees, 31 for master’s degrees and 16 for doctorates. It also ranks forensic psychology schools within 16 states. In all, 60 colleges offer forensic psychology programs; compare them by degree level below or in the Best Value Forensic Psychology Colleges ranking, which weighs quality against cost.
The most common forensic psychology credential is the master’s degree: 1,829 of the 2,736 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to forensic psychology call most for Reading Comprehension, Active Listening and Speaking, and for knowledge of English Language, Education and Training and Psychology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a forensic psychology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 855 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1,829 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 52 |
Bachelor’s degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to forensic psychology, at 33.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 33.1% |
| Post-doctoral training | 25.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 17.5% |
| Master’s degree | 8.4% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.0% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.6% |
| Some college courses | 2.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
Source: O*NET Online.
11 occupations are related to Forensic Psychology, with an average median salary of $105,599; the strongest outlook belongs to Compliance Managers, at 13.0% projected job growth. Typical job titles include University Faculty Member, Professor, Industrial Psychology Teacher and Psychology Faculty Member.
The occupation related to forensic psychology with the most projected jobs is Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary, at 513,614.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | 513,614 | -3.0% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Clinical Neuropsychologists | 216,013 | 8.9% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| Neuropsychologists | 186,493 | 6.5% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
Forensic Psychology graduates earn a median $55,107 one year after completing their program, $71,095 after four years and $67,444 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $55,107 |
| 4 years | $71,095 |
| 5 years | $67,444 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to forensic psychology is Wind Energy Development Managers, with a median salary of $169,952.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $98,479 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
| Neuropsychologists | $83,690 |
Forensic Psychology has 16 similar majors in the Psychology field, which together award 40,451 degrees a year; the largest are Counseling Psychology (12,299), Applied Behavior Analysis (7,220) and Clinical Psychology (6,412). Browse all Psychology majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Counseling Psychology | 12,299 |
| Applied Behavior Analysis | 7,220 |
| Clinical Psychology | 6,412 |
| School Psychology | 3,735 |
| Industrial and Organizational Psychology | 3,171 |
| Applied Psychology | 3,004 |
| Educational Psychology | 1,876 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Other | 711 |
| Family Psychology | 630 |
| Community Psychology | 467 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
