Forensic Science Degree Programs in Idaho

Updated September 23, 2026

Forensic science technician and detective/criminal investigator are two separate occupations in Idaho, not two sides of the same job. Idaho forensic science technicians earn a median $71,160 a year (BLS, May 2025), and Idaho State Police Forensic Services requires at least a bachelor’s degree in a natural science for its analyst roles.

If you’re weighing a forensic science career in Idaho, it helps to know these aren’t interchangeable jobs. Forensic science technicians work within specific evidence disciplines, in a lab, at a scene, or both, depending on the role and the agency. Detectives and criminal investigators build and manage criminal cases. Depending on the agency, evidence collection at a scene may fall to patrol officers, crime-scene personnel, evidence specialists, or forensic staff rather than the detective. The two occupations sit in the same broad field but follow different training paths, different employers, and different pay.

Featured Programs:

What Forensic Science Work Looks Like in Idaho

A forensic science technician processes and analyzes physical evidence, working within a particular discipline such as trace evidence, controlled substances, or DNA rather than across every evidence type at once. A detective or criminal investigator works the case itself: interviewing witnesses, coordinating with technicians and other specialists, and building the file that goes to a prosecutor.

Idaho employs about 160 workers in the forensic science technician occupation and roughly 630 in the detective and criminal investigator occupation, per May 2025 BLS wage data. These are occupation-wide employment estimates, not counts of forensic science graduates or degree completions.

Degree and Training Requirements

Idaho State Police (ISP) Forensic Services, the state’s primary forensic laboratory system, requires its forensic analysts to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or a closely related natural science field. A criminal justice degree alone typically doesn’t meet this bar. ISP is looking for the science coursework a laboratory role demands.

Requirements get more specific by discipline. ISP asks for coursework in instrumental and quantitative analysis for controlled-substance analysts, and biochemistry, molecular biology, and genetics for DNA analysts. If you already know which discipline interests you, check that program’s course catalog for those specific classes rather than assuming any forensic science or criminal justice degree covers them.

ISP also offers internships for students pursuing or holding a natural science degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or physics, with preference given to candidates who already have instrumentation or lab technique experience. That’s a practical way to test the work before committing to a full degree track.

Detective and criminal investigator positions follow a different path entirely, tied to sworn law enforcement certification rather than a forensic science degree. Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) is the certifying body. Basic certification generally requires employment by an Idaho law enforcement agency, completion of a POST basic academy, at least 40 hours of agency field training, six months of probation, and the agency’s submission of your certification application. Idaho State University, the College of Western Idaho, the College of Southern Idaho, and North Idaho College all offer POST-approved patrol or detention academy training you can complete independently as a student, but you’ll still need to be hired by an agency and complete the remaining certification steps afterward. There’s no single statewide detective entrance exam. POST runs its own academy and certification testing, and a separate POST Challenge Exam exists for lateral or out-of-state candidates, but individual agencies set their own procedures for who gets assigned or promoted to detective.

There is no single, universal forensic-scientist license or statewide licensing exam covering every forensic discipline in Idaho. ISP Forensic Services sets its own employer- and discipline-specific qualifications, and sworn law enforcement certification is handled separately by POST.

Forensic Science Careers and Pay in Idaho

As of May 2025 BLS wage data, Idaho forensic science technicians earn a median $71,160 a year, with the middle half of the field earning between $58,700 and $94,100. Idaho’s Department of Labor projects employment for this occupation to grow 14.4% between 2024 and 2034 (ProjectionsCentral).

Detectives and criminal investigators in Idaho earn a median $72,520 a year, per the same May 2025 BLS data. Idaho’s Department of Labor projects employment for this occupation to grow 2.7% through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral). Detective assignment and promotion requirements, including whether prior patrol experience is required, are set by individual agencies rather than a single statewide rule.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Forensic Science Technicians and Detectives and Criminal Investigators. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Where to Study Forensic Science in Idaho

No Idaho institution currently appears in the federal Security Science and Technology CIP-family data this page draws from, per U.S. Department of Education data. That CIP family isn’t an exhaustive directory of every forensic-science concentration, certificate, or related science course in the state, so this reflects a gap in how that specific federal data set is coded, not a claim that Idaho has no forensic-science coursework anywhere.

Idaho does have several criminal justice programs, including at Boise State University, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, the College of Southern Idaho, the College of Western Idaho, North Idaho College, and the University of Idaho, per federal education data. A criminal justice degree from one of these programs won’t automatically satisfy ISP’s natural-science requirement for lab analyst roles. Confirm directly with the school and with ISP Forensic Services which coursework, if any, applies toward the discipline you’re targeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a degree to work in forensic science in Idaho?

It depends on the role. BLS identifies a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for forensic science technicians nationally, and Idaho State Police Forensic Services requires its own analysts to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or a related natural science. Detective and criminal investigator positions require Idaho POST law enforcement certification instead of a forensic science degree.

What’s the difference between a forensic science technician and a crime scene investigator?

Whether crime scene investigation is handled by a civilian forensic science technician, a sworn officer, or a separate crime-scene unit varies by agency in Idaho. Check with the specific department or lab you’re interested in rather than assuming the titles mean the same thing everywhere.

How much do forensic science technicians make in Idaho?

Idaho forensic science technicians earn a median $71,160 a year, per May 2025 BLS wage data. Pay varies by agency, experience, and whether the role is field-based, lab-based, or both.

Is forensic science a growing field in Idaho?

Yes. Idaho’s Department of Labor projects employment for forensic science technicians to grow 14.4% between 2024 and 2034, per ProjectionsCentral.

Key Takeaways

Two separate occupations – Forensic science technician and detective/criminal investigator are distinct jobs with different training, employers, and requirements, not two sides of one path.
Science degree matters for lab work – Idaho State Police Forensic Services requires at least a bachelor’s degree in a natural science for its analyst roles, plus discipline-specific coursework.
Technician pay and projected growth – Idaho forensic science technicians earn a median $71,160 a year, with employment projected to grow 14.4% through 2034.
School data has a coding gap, not a program gap – No Idaho institution appears in the specific federal CIP family this page draws from, but that doesn’t mean forensic-science coursework doesn’t exist in the state.

Ready to compare programs? The sponsored schools above list current forensic science and criminal justice offerings for Idaho, and you can search other states below.

Looking for a Criminal Justice Program in Another State?

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Compare Forensic Scientist Schools & Training Programs.