Forensic Science Degree Programs in Illinois

Updated September 22, 2026

Illinois offers forensic science credentials from certificate through bachelor’s degree, and four in-state schools report programs in the federal CIP family that includes forensic science, per U.S. Department of Education data. Forensic science technicians earned a median $124,790 in Illinois as of May 2025 BLS data, with 17.3% projected job growth through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral).

Forensic science sits at the intersection of the lab and the courtroom, and Illinois has plenty of both to work in. This guide walks through the degree options available in Illinois, what Illinois State Police actually requires for its lab positions, the schools confirmed in federal data, and what forensic scientists, detectives, and coroners earn once they’re working.

Get in Touch with Illinois Forensic Science Programs

Featured Programs:

How Forensic Science Works in Illinois

The Illinois State Police Forensic Sciences Command operates seven forensic laboratories across the state, processing DNA, toxicology, firearms, and trace evidence for police departments that don’t run their own labs. Universities in Illinois also employ forensic scientists, mostly in research roles developing new detection methods rather than casework.

Forensic Scientist vs. Detective: Two Different Paths

Forensic science and detective work get lumped together often, but they’re two different careers. A forensic scientist works in the lab, testing evidence under Illinois State Police protocols. A detective or criminal investigator is a sworn law-enforcement officer, and Illinois governs that path separately through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB). Local police basic training in Illinois currently runs 640 hours, and every trainee has to pass ILETSB’s comprehensive certification exam. The Illinois State Police Academy’s local basic course only accepts trainees who are already employed by an Illinois municipal police department or county sheriff’s office. None of that certification applies to civilian forensic scientists working in a lab.

What Illinois State Police Actually Requires

A bachelor’s degree in forensic science or a natural science is the standard entry point for ISP’s Forensic Scientist Trainee positions. Beyond the degree, ISP asks for discipline-specific coursework: chemistry, toxicology, and trace-analysis roles require specified chemistry and natural-science coursework, while biology and DNA roles require genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and statistics or population-genetics coursework.

ISP’s separate State Police Evidence Technician position takes a different route. It asks for education and mental development equivalent to two years of college, preferably in a natural or biological science and/or law enforcement, which lines up closer to what an associate degree offers than a bachelor’s does.

A certificate can add a specialized credential on top of an existing degree or career, but it generally doesn’t qualify someone for an ISP Forensic Scientist Trainee position on its own.

ISP doesn’t require a master’s degree for supervisory or specialized forensic work. Training and qualifications are set discipline by discipline, not by degree level, so check the specific unit’s requirements before assuming graduate school is the next step.

Where to Study Forensic Science in Illinois

Four Illinois institutions appear in federal education data under the security-science-and-technology CIP family, the broader federal classification that includes forensic science alongside general security science and computer/cyber forensics. Federal data can’t isolate forensic science specifically inside that family, so this list shows institutions with a program in that broader category, not a guarantee that all four run a dedicated forensic-science track. Confirm a program’s forensic focus, current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with each school before applying.

Institution	City	Control	Credential Levels Offered
Kishwaukee College	Malta	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
William Rainey Harper College	Palatine	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Lewis University	Romeoville	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Loyola University Chicago	Chicago	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed September 2026.

What Forensic Science and Investigative Careers Pay in Illinois

As of May 2025 BLS wage data, forensic science technicians in Illinois earned a median annual wage of $124,790 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). ProjectionsCentral projects 17.3% job growth for Illinois forensic science technicians from 2024 to 2034.

Criminal investigators and detectives in Illinois, a separate sworn law-enforcement career from lab-based forensic science, earned a median annual wage of $91,190 (BLS, May 2025). ProjectionsCentral projects 2.9% job growth for this occupation in Illinois from 2024 to 2034.

Illinois does not have a distinct, BLS-tracked wage occupation for elected coroners, so a statewide salary figure can’t be sourced here. Coroner pay and structure vary by county.

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 for Illinois, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree do I need to become a forensic scientist in Illinois?

Illinois State Police requires a bachelor’s degree in forensic science or a natural science for its Forensic Scientist Trainee positions, plus coursework specific to the discipline you want to work in, such as chemistry for toxicology and trace work or genetics and molecular biology for DNA work.

How much do forensic science technicians make in Illinois?

Forensic science technicians in Illinois earned a median annual wage of $124,790 as of May 2025, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay varies by employer, lab specialty, and years of experience, and this figure reflects a statewide occupational median, not a starting salary.

Is a forensic science degree the same as a criminal justice degree?

No. A criminal justice degree covers policing, courts, and corrections broadly. A forensic science degree focuses on the lab side, chemistry, biology, and evidence analysis, though many programs combine both.

Do forensic scientists go through police academy training in Illinois?

No. Illinois State Police forensic scientists are civilian lab positions with their own education and training requirements set by ISP’s Forensic Sciences Command. Police academy training and Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) certification apply to sworn officers and detectives, a separate career path from lab-based forensic science.

Do I need a degree to become a coroner in Illinois?

Illinois coroners are elected, so there’s no degree requirement to run for the office. But the state does regulate the job once you’re in it. First-time elected coroners must apply to the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Coroner Training Board within 30 days of taking office and complete the required training within six months of applying. Only a coroner who completes that death-investigation training, or receives an applicable waiver, can serve as lead investigator on a case. Check with IDPH’s Coroner Training Board for current training requirements, and with your county clerk’s office for election and appointment specifics.

Key Takeaways

Bachelor’s is the standard for lab work – ISP’s Forensic Scientist Trainee positions require a bachelor’s in forensic science or a natural science, plus discipline-specific coursework.
Detective work is a separate, sworn path – governed by ILETSB’s 640-hour basic training and certification exam, not forensic science training.
Four Illinois schools show up in federal data – within the broader security-science-and-technology CIP family. Confirm the forensic focus directly with each school.
Coroner pay isn’t sourceable statewide – but Illinois does require Coroner Training Board certification once you’re elected.

Lab work or sworn law enforcement? If the lab side appeals to you, the schools above are a starting point, and ISP’s discipline-specific coursework requirements are worth mapping against your transcript early. If the sworn detective route appeals to you more, look into your local department’s ILETSB-certified academy requirements directly, since that’s a separate pathway from forensic science training.

Looking for Forensic Science Programs in Another State?

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