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Forensic Science and Technology.

Types of Degrees Forensic Science and Technology. Majors Are Earning

Those studying Forensic Science and Technology. may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	186
Associate’s Degree	559
Bachelor’s Degree	1,922
Master’s Degree	1,920
Doctor’s Degree	25

What Forensic Science and Technology. Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Forensic Science and Technology. build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Forensic Science and Technology. graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Forensic Science and Technology. emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Forensic Science and Technology. program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Forensic Science and Technology. careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Forensic Science and Technology. graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Processing Information	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Forensic Science and Technology. professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
JavaScript	Web platform development software	—
Structured query language SQL	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Forensic Science and Technology. graduates include:

• Quality Assurance Coordinator (QA Coordinator)
• Quality Control Expert (QC Expert)
• QC Lab Analyst (Quality Control Laboratory Analyst)
• Quality Control Technician (QC Tech)
• QA Auditor (Quality Assurance Auditor)
• QA Analyst (Quality Assurance Analyst)
• Chemistry Quality Control Technician (Chemistry QC Technician)
• Quality Process Auditor
• Quality Improvement Analyst
• Quality Analyst
• QA Lab Tech (Quality Assurance Laboratory Technician)
• IT Quality Control Analyst (Information Technology Quality Control Analyst)
• Quality Systems Specialist
• Quality Improvement Specialist
• Microbiology Lab Analyst

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	25.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	23.8%
Postsecondary certificate	13.1%
Master’s degree	9.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.1%
Doctoral degree	5.9%
Some college courses	5.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.9%
Less than a high school diploma	2.6%
Post-master’s certificate	2.0%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Forensic Science and Technology.?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.8% of Forensic Science and Technology. degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,635	78.8%
Men	977	21.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,315	50.2%
Asian	210	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,245	27.0%
Black or African American	409	8.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	23	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.2%
Two or More Races	207	4.5%
Race Unknown	113	2.5%
International Students	82	1.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Forensic Science and Technology. Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Forensic Science and Technology. graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Forensic Science and Technology. Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Forensic Science and Technology.. 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	7	7
Bachelor’s	3	3
Master’s	6	2

^{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 Forensic Science and Technology. Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Forensic Science and Technology. 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
Criminalistics and Criminal Science	43.0402
Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism	43.0403
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy	43.0404
Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation	43.0405
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/Safety Studies	43.0104
Corrections Administration	43.0113

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.