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Criminalistics and Criminal Science.

Types of Degrees Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Majors Are Earning

Those studying Criminalistics and Criminal Science. can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	87
Associate’s Degree	9
Bachelor’s Degree	408
Master’s Degree	74
Doctor’s Degree	6

What Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Majors Need to Know

Studies in Criminalistics and Criminal Science. build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Criminalistics and Criminal Science. emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Criminalistics and Criminal Science. program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Criminalistics and Criminal Science. careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Criminalistics and Criminal Science. professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
The CAD Zone The Crime Zone	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
SmartDraw Legal	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
National Integrated Ballistics Information Network NIBIN	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates include:

• Law Enforcement Specialist
• Criminalist
• Investigator
• Police Officer
• Identification Officer
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Police Investigator
• Police Inspector
• State Trooper
• Sheriff’s Detective
• Drug Enforcement Agent
• Border Patrol Agent
• Special Agent
• CIA Agent (Central Intelligence Agency Agent)
• Fingerprint Classifier

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share 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: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Criminalistics and Criminal Science.?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 76.4% of Criminalistics and Criminal Science. degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	446	76.4%
Men	138	23.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	203	34.8%
Asian	15	2.6%
Hispanic or Latino	267	45.7%
Black or African American	77	13.2%
Two or More Races	11	1.9%
Race Unknown	7	1.2%
International Students	4	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,422
4 years	$49,125
5 years	$55,237

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,237 — roughly 7% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Criminalistics and Criminal Science.. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	0
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Criminalistics and Criminal Science. graduates earn a median of $49,125 four years after completion — roughly 29% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Security Science and Technology	43.04
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism	43.0403
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
Forensic Science and Technology	43.0406
Geospatial Intelligence	43.0407
Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis	43.0408
Security Science and Technology, General	43.0401
Security Science and Technology, Other	43.0499
Criminal Justice and Corrections	43.0100
Criminal Justice/Police Science	43.0107
Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing	43.0114

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.