Forensic Science Degree Programs in New Hampshire

Updated September 23, 2026

New Hampshire’s one federally reporting program in this CIP family, at Manchester Community College, is a cyber/computer forensics associate degree, not a crime-scene or lab forensic science major. The state’s sole traditional forensic lab is the NH State Police Forensic Laboratory. Forensic science technicians earn a national median of $72,060 a year (BLS, May 2025), with 13% growth through 2035.

If you’re picturing a state full of forensic science degree options, adjust that picture. New Hampshire has exactly one program that turns up in the federal CIP family covering this field, and it’s not the crime-scene or DNA-lab major most people picture (more on that below). For the physical, lab-based side of forensic science, the state runs one facility: the NH State Police Forensic Laboratory in Concord, which handles evidence for every police, sheriff, and fire department in the state.

Reach out to New Hampshire schools today for more information!

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New Hampshire’s Forensic Science Employer: the State Police Forensic Laboratory

New Hampshire doesn’t split forensic lab work across multiple agencies the way larger states do — one lab handles it all. The NH State Police Forensic Laboratory, part of the Department of Safety’s Division of State Police in Concord, is the sole provider of traditional forensic laboratory services in the state. It receives and analyzes evidence from more than 220 city and town police departments, the state’s county sheriffs’ offices, and fire departments statewide. Lab candidates go through the same State Police background screening as sworn staff, even though the lab positions themselves are civilian and don’t require police academy training.

Forensic Science Technician Pay and Outlook (National Data)

New Hampshire isn’t broken out separately in the wage data used here for forensic science technicians, so the national figure is the most reliable benchmark available. As of May 2025 BLS data, forensic science technicians earn a national median of $72,060 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook. The BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for this occupation. Nationally, the job is growing fast: the BLS projects 13% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, well above the 3% average for all occupations.

Detectives and Criminal Investigators: A Separate Career, Not a Forensic-Science Credential

Detectives and Criminal Investigators are a distinct law enforcement occupation from forensic science technicians, with a different qualification path. Sworn officers in New Hampshire, including detectives, are certified through the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council, not through a forensic science degree program. As of May 2025 BLS wage data, New Hampshire’s Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn a state median of $89,290 a year. That figure applies to the occupation as a whole and isn’t specific to any degree path. ProjectionsCentral projects 0.9% job growth for the role in New Hampshire from 2024 to 2034. That’s a separate cycle and source from the national forensic-tech projection above, so don’t compare the two percentages as if they measure the same thing.

Where to Study Forensic Science in New Hampshire

Per U.S. Department of Education data (College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025, accessed September 2026), one New Hampshire institution appears in the security-science-and-technology CIP family, the group that includes forensic science:

Institution	City	Control	Level	Program Area (Federal CIP Family)	Credential Offered
Manchester Community College	Manchester	Public	2-year	Security Science and Technology	Associate’s Degree

That’s the CIP family, not a program title. Manchester Community College’s own catalog lists this as a Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism associate degree, a digital-evidence specialty rather than the physical, lab-based forensic science discussed above. Confirm the current program name, format, and admission requirements directly with the school before applying, since federal reporting can lag a school’s actual catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a forensic science degree program in New Hampshire?

One New Hampshire institution appears in the federal data for this program family: Manchester Community College, with an associate degree. Its actual catalog program is Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism, a digital-evidence specialty, not the biology/chemistry lab science most people picture when they say “forensic science degree.”

How much do forensic science technicians make in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire isn’t broken out separately in this dataset’s May 2025 wage release for forensic science technicians, so the national median of $72,060 a year is the most reliable figure available (BLS, May 2025).

What’s the job outlook for forensic science nationally?

The BLS projects 13% national employment growth for forensic science technicians from 2025 to 2035, well above the average for all occupations. That’s a national figure, separate from the state-specific detective growth number below.

How do I become a forensic scientist in New Hampshire?

The NH State Police Forensic Laboratory in Concord is the state’s sole provider of traditional forensic lab services, and it’s where most forensic-science work in New Hampshire actually happens. The BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for forensic science technicians nationally. Lab candidates go through the same State Police background screening as sworn staff.

Are detectives and forensic science technicians the same career?

No. They’re separate occupations with separate qualification paths. Detectives and Criminal Investigators are sworn law enforcement, certified in New Hampshire through the Police Standards and Training Council. Forensic science technicians are typically civilian lab and crime-scene specialists who don’t go through police academy training.

Key Takeaways

One CIP-family match, not a forensic science major – Manchester Community College is the only New Hampshire school in the federal data used here, and its listed program is Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism, not a physical/lab forensic science degree.
One state forensic lab – The NH State Police Forensic Laboratory in Concord is the state’s sole provider of traditional forensic laboratory services.
National wage benchmark – Forensic science technicians earn a national median of $72,060 a year (BLS, May 2025), since New Hampshire isn’t broken out separately in this dataset.
Detectives are a different career – New Hampshire Detectives and Criminal Investigators earn a state median of $89,290 a year, but that’s a separate law enforcement occupation with its own certification path, not a forensic-science credential.

If your goal is the physical, lab-based side of forensic science, this dataset doesn’t surface a second New Hampshire option in the security-science family. It’s worth checking whether any of the state’s four-year schools offer a forensic science track filed under a different CIP code, and researching regional or online bachelor’s programs as a backup. FEPAC accreditation is one signal of program quality in this field, though it’s not required everywhere forensic scientists work. Ask any program directly about lab access and course sequencing before you commit.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Forensic Science Technicians and Detectives and Criminal Investigators. New Hampshire detective job growth is a 2024-34 long-term projection from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. National forensic science technician job growth is the BLS 2025-35 projection. Figures reflect a mix of state and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

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.

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