Forensic Science Degree Programs in New York

Updated October 1, 2026

New York has 20 colleges and universities reporting a program in the federal CIP family that includes forensic science, per U.S. Department of Education data—19 in-state and one, Excelsior University, online-only. Forensic science technicians in the state earned a median $81,670 in May 2025 (BLS), and the role is projected to grow 15.3% through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral).

The people working in forensic science need more than a strong stomach—they need a credential that will hold up on a witness stand under cross-examination. New York offers forensic-science-family training from a two-year associate degree up through a research-level master’s, across public and private schools statewide.

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What Can I Do with a Forensic Science Degree in New York?

New York’s courts and police departments rely on forensic evidence to make or break cases, which puts real weight on the people who collect, test, and present that evidence. A forensic science credential trains you to be the person labs and detectives rely on to make physical evidence hold up, from the crime scene to the courtroom.

Forensic Science Degrees in New York

New York offers coursework across several credential levels in the forensic-science-family CIP code, though not all of it leads to the same career. Three common tracks are forensic accounting, computer forensics, and forensic mental health counseling, and each leads toward a different kind of job with its own training path, and in one case, its own state licensing requirement.

What’s Next?

Program length and required coursework vary by school, but an associate degree in forensic accounting commonly runs around two years of full-time study, built around reading financial documents, flagging irregularities, and backing up or tearing down a suspect’s alibi with paper trails instead of physical evidence.

Associate’s-Level Forensic Accounting Classes

Accounting Principles
Macroeconomics
Analysis of Financial Documents

At the bachelor’s level, you can specialize in forensic science or computer forensics. Computer forensics applies the same evidence standards to phones, laptops, vehicles, and other devices, building a case that can clear a suspect or confirm their guilt. Credit requirements vary by institution, so confirm the specific credit load and program length directly with each school you’re considering. An internship can provide relevant hands-on experience and professional contacts, though it isn’t guaranteed to lead directly to a job offer.

Bachelor’s Degree Coursework in Computer Forensics

Law and Criminal Justice
Databases for Digital Forensics
Forensic Accounting and Fraud Detection
Computer Forensics

Graduate programs split into two distinct directions: evidence collection and analysis on the lab-science side, or forensic mental health counseling on the clinical side. Admission requirements, prerequisite coursework, and program length vary by school and by track, so confirm them directly rather than assuming a standard timeline. A bachelor’s degree is a common prerequisite for either path.

A master’s in forensic mental health counseling trains you to work with offenders and at-risk populations on the clinical side of the system, a different career from a forensic science lab job. In New York, practicing as a mental health counselor requires a license from the New York State Education Department’s Office of the Professions, with its own education, supervised experience, exam, and training requirements, separate from any forensic-science-technician credential. Confirm current licensing requirements for your intended role directly with NYSED before choosing a program.

Graduate Courses in Forensic Mental Health

Psychopathology
Forensic Mental Health Counseling
Counseling and Psychotherapy Methods
Group Dynamics and Treatment

Where to Study Forensic Science in New York

Twenty New York institutions report a program in the Security Science and Technology CIP family, per federal education data. That’s the broader category the Department of Education uses, and it includes forensic science alongside other security and protective-service credentials, so the data can’t confirm which listed programs are forensic-science-specific. Nineteen are in-state; one, Excelsior University, is online-only. Confirm the program’s exact focus, current enrollment, course format, and admission requirements directly with each school before applying, since federal data can lag what a school is actually teaching, or whether it’s still open.

Institution	City	Type	Credential Levels Reported in CIP Family
Binghamton University	Vestal	Public	Master’s
CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College	New York	Public	Associate
CUNY Hostos Community College	Bronx	Public	Associate
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice	New York	Public	Undergraduate certificate, Bachelor’s, Graduate certificate, Master’s
Erie Community College	Buffalo	Public	Undergraduate certificate
Excelsior University	Albany (Online)	Private nonprofit	Undergraduate certificate, Bachelor’s, Master’s
Farmingdale State College	Farmingdale	Public	Bachelor’s
Herkimer County Community College	Herkimer	Public	Associate
Hilbert College	Hamburg	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Hofstra University	Hempstead	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, Master’s
Hudson Valley Community College	Troy	Public	Associate
Long Island University	Brookville	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Onondaga Community College	Syracuse	Public	Associate
Pace University	New York	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, Master’s
Roberts Wesleyan University	Rochester	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
SUNY Buffalo State University	Buffalo	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s
SUNY College at Plattsburgh	Plattsburgh	Public	Bachelor’s
SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	Alfred	Public	Bachelor’s
Syracuse University	Syracuse	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, Master’s
Utica University	Utica	Private nonprofit	Undergraduate certificate, Master’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 October 2026.

Working as a Forensic Scientist in New York

Crime labs and research facilities across the state lean on forensic science technicians to collect, process, and store evidence correctly, the kind of chain-of-custody work that can make or break a case in court. As of the 2025 BLS wage data, forensic science technicians in New York earned a median of $81,670 a year. New York’s Department of Labor projects 15.3% growth in the role between 2024 and 2034, per ProjectionsCentral.

Criminal investigation is a related field, but it isn’t a direct extension of a forensic science degree. Becoming a detective or criminal investigator in New York typically means starting as a sworn police officer and working up through an agency’s civil-service process, with hiring, academy training, and promotion requirements that vary by department. For context on the pay in that line of work: detectives and criminal investigators statewide earned a median of $101,240 in the same May 2025 BLS dataset, with 3.3% projected growth through 2034.

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 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What degree do I need to become a forensic science technician in New York?

Forensic science technicians typically need at least a bachelor’s degree, per BLS. Exact degree, coursework, and other requirements vary by employer and forensic discipline, so confirm specifics with any lab or agency you’re targeting.

How long does a forensic science program take?

An associate degree commonly runs about two years and a bachelor’s about four, though exact length varies by school and program. A master’s typically adds time on top of the bachelor’s, and counseling-focused tracks in particular can carry additional clinical and licensing requirements that extend the timeline.

Which New York colleges offer forensic science coursework?

Twenty New York institutions report a program in the Security Science and Technology CIP family that includes forensic science, per federal education data, ranging from community colleges like Hudson Valley to four-year schools like Binghamton University and Hofstra University. See the full list above, and confirm each program’s exact focus with the school.

What’s the difference between forensic science and computer forensics?

Forensic science applies lab techniques, like DNA analysis and trace evidence, to physical crime scenes. Computer forensics applies the same evidentiary standards to digital devices: phones, laptops, vehicles, and anything else that stores data a case might need.

Do I need a degree to work in a New York crime lab?

For a forensic science technician role specifically, yes. BLS reports employers typically require at least a bachelor’s degree for that position. Crime labs also employ people in other roles with different qualifications, so the degree requirement depends on which job you’re pursuing.

Key Takeaways

New York has real options – Twenty institutions report forensic-science-family coursework per federal CIP data, from two-year associate programs up to research-level master’s degrees.
The pay is solid – Forensic science technicians earned a median of $81,670 in May 2025, per BLS, with 15.3% projected growth through 2034.
Not every path leads to the same job – Lab work, computer forensics, and forensic mental health counseling are distinct careers with their own training and, for counseling, a separate New York State license.
Confirm program details directly – Federal education data can lag a school’s current catalog and can even list schools that have since closed, so verify enrollment, format, and admission requirements with each school before applying.

Still weighing the cost? The scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice and forensic science students, with eligibility, amounts, and deadlines.

Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students

Looking for a Forensic Science Program in Another State?

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