Forensic Psychology major
Forensic Psychology: courses, careers, and where to study
Forensic Psychology applies clinical and assessment skills to the criminal and civil legal systems, training students in psychological evaluation, risk assessment, and expert consultation.
Forensic Psychology sits where psychological science meets the courts, corrections, and legal procedure. Coursework covers psychopathology and the epidemiology of behavioral disorders, the risk factors behind violence and offending, psychological testing and forensic assessment, and the rules of criminal and civil law that shape how findings can be used. Students practice structured interviewing, learn validated assessment instruments, and study how evidence and expert testimony function in a courtroom. Where Psychology surveys cognition, behavior, and emotion broadly, and Criminal Justice examines the institutions of policing, courts, and corrections, Forensic Psychology focuses narrowly on applying assessment and intervention skills to legally involved people. It also differs from Forensic Science, which analyzes physical evidence in a laboratory rather than evaluating minds and behavior.
Most clinical and assessment roles in this field require graduate study, and a bachelor's degree usually serves as preparation for a master's or doctoral program rather than the end point. Practitioners who conduct evaluations, treatment, or expert work typically hold a license to practice psychology, governed by state psychology boards, with doctoral training often required for independent clinical practice. Graduates work in secure settings, community corrections, victim services, law enforcement consultation, and research, while others apply the foundation toward counseling, social work, or law school. Roles, titles, and demand vary by region, employer, and credential level, so a major is a starting point, not a guarantee of a particular position. Students should confirm licensure paths and program accreditation with the relevant state board and program before enrolling.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of psychologists, all other, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $117,580 and projects employment to grow about 4.3% from 2024 to 2034; a master's degree is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Forensic Psychology maps to CIP 42.2812, Forensic Psychology, within the PSYCHOLOGY family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply clinical, counseling, school, and neuropsychology skills to the provision of psychological services within the criminal justice and civil legal systems, including consultation, assessment, and interventions. Includes instruction in the epidemiology of mental/behavioral disorders, risk factors for violence and criminality, profiling and patterning, psychological testing, prediction and intervention measurement, forensic assessment, criminal and civil law and procedures, secure environments, forensic treatment and intervention skills, and professional standards and ethics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Forensic Psychology is awarded as
Of the 2,550 Forensic Psychology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate2%62
- Bachelor's30%771
- Graduate67%1,717
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Psychopathology and the epidemiology of mental and behavioral disorders
- Risk factors for violence, recidivism, and criminal behavior
- Psychological testing, scoring, and the use of validated assessment instruments
- Forensic assessment methods, including competency and risk evaluations
- Criminal and civil law, court procedure, and rules governing expert testimony
- Structured clinical interviewing and behavioral observation
- Treatment and intervention approaches used in secure and correctional settings
- Professional ethics, confidentiality, and standards for forensic practice
- Research design and statistics for studying behavior and program outcomes
Typical careers
- Forensic psychologist
- Correctional or rehabilitation counselor
- Victim advocate or victim services specialist
- Probation or community corrections officer
- Behavioral research assistant
- Case manager in court or social services
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 psychologists, all other median $117,580).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Forensic Psychology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary | $80,330 | 4,000 | +3.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Psychologists, All Other | $117,580 | 3,900 | +4.3% | Master's degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 3 of these 3 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Forensic Psychology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Forensic Psychology major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Forensic Psychology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Forensic Psychology department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Forensic Psychology program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Forensic Psychology credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNY · 624
- Arizona State University Digital ImmersionAZ · 397
- Walden UniversityMN · 222
- The Chicago School at Los AngelesCA · 118
- Marymount UniversityVA · 96
- Capella UniversityMN · 88
- California State University-FresnoCA · 87
- University of North DakotaND · 75
- Nova Southeastern UniversityFL · 73
- The Chicago School at ChicagoIL · 66
- George Washington UniversityDC · 57
- Northcentral UniversityCA · 56
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Forensic Psychology credentials were awarded
One state has a distinct enough set of Forensic Psychology colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Forensic Psychology schools by state
- Forensic Psychology in California
- Forensic Psychology in Florida
- Forensic Psychology in Georgia
- Forensic Psychology in Illinois
- Forensic Psychology in Maryland
- Forensic Psychology in Massachusetts
- Forensic Psychology in New York
- Forensic Psychology in North Carolina
- Forensic Psychology in Pennsylvania
- Forensic Psychology in Texas
Related majors
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice studies the institutions and practices of policing, courts, and corrections, preparing graduates for law enforcement, probation, corrections, and law school.
Forensic Science
Forensic Science applies biology, chemistry, and laboratory methods to physical evidence, suiting students who want to support criminal and legal investigations through scientific analysis.
Sociology
Sociology studies social institutions, group behavior, inequality, and culture, preparing graduates for research, policy, social services, and graduate school in law or social work.
Criminology
Criminology applies social science to understand why crime happens, how offenders behave, and how laws, courts, and corrections respond, suiting students drawn to research and policy.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Forensic Psychology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Management careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Science & Research careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Forensic Psychology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Forensic Psychology path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.