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2023 Forensic Psychology Degree Guide

Rapid Growth in Forensic Psychology Degrees Awarded

#267 Most Popular Major
2.3k Degrees Awarded
8.4% Increase in Graduates

Forensic Psychology was the 267th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 2,290 degrees in this year alone. This is a difference of 192 over the prior year, a growth of 8.4%.

This year's Best Forensic Psychology Schools ranking compares 35 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom forensic psychology rankings further below.

2023 Best Colleges for Forensic Psychology
2023 Overall Best Forensic Psychology Colleges >

Best Forensic Psychology Schools by Degree

Bachelor's Degrees in Forensic Psychology
Master's Degrees in Forensic Psychology
Doctorate Degrees in Forensic Psychology

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Forensic Psychology

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents has been highlighted as one of the most essential skills for careers related to forensic psychology. Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems are all required skills for careers related to this major.

Getting Accepted Into a Forensic Psychology Program

New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional forensic psychology certifications required to pursue a career in this field.

Types of Forensic Psychology Degrees

There are many different forensic psychology degree levels. You can get anything from a in forensic psychology to the highest forensic psychology degree, a . Different forensic psychology degrees vary in how long they take.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to forensic psychology, with approximately 49.6% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to forensic psychology tend obtained the following education levels.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 49.3%
Post-Doctoral Training 24.6%
Master’s Degree 10.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 5.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate 2.7%

About 88.5% of workers in careers related to forensic psychology obtain at least bachelor's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in forensic psychology careers have.

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The education level required is different depending on the forensic psychology career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Forensic Psychology Graduate

Average Number of Jobs
106k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
8% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Solid Growth Projected for Forensic Psychology Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your forensic psychology degree? Forensic Psychology careers are expected to grow 8.1% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to forensic psychology.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Managers 1,071,700 8.0%
Psychologists 19,200 10.3%

How Much Money Do People With a Forensic Psychology Degree Make?

As you might expect, salaries for forensic psychology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid Forensic Psychology Careers

Salaries for forensic psychology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers forensic psychology grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Managers $115,590
Psychologists $95,610

Getting Your Forensic Psychology Degree

With over 88 different forensic psychology degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased forensic psychology school rankings to help you with this.

One of 16 majors within the Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology area of study, Forensic Psychology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Forensic Psychology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Counseling Psychology 9,463
Applied Behavior Analysis 5,497
Clinical Psychology 5,125
School Psychology 3,230
Industrial & Organizational Psychology 2,386

View All Forensic Psychology Related Majors >

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