Adjudicator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adjudicator. Adjudicators usually study business, criminal justice, or psychology. 62% of adjudicators hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 868 real adjudicator resumes to see exactly what adjudicator education sections show.

The most common colleges for adjudicators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online adjudicator courses to help get the education required to be an adjudicator.

There are certain adjudicator certifications that you should consider. These adjudicator certifications include Security 5 Certification and Industrial Security Professional Certification (ISP).

What education do you need to become an adjudicator?

What degree do you need to be an adjudicator?

The most common degree for adjudicators is bachelor's degree, with 62% of adjudicators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 11%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become an adjudicator?

You should major in business to become an adjudicator. 21% of adjudicators major in business. Other common majors for an adjudicator include criminal justice and psychology.

Business, 21%

Criminal Justice, 12%

Psychology, 12%

Political Science, 6%

Other Majors, 49%

Most common colleges for adjudicators

Adjudicators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Florida State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for adjudicators in the US based on their resumes.

Adjudicator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.78%
Florida State University	7.61%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.52%
University of Kentucky	6.52%
Ohio State University	5.43%

Show more common adjudicator colleges

Best majors for adjudicators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	20.6%
2	Criminal Justice	12.2%
3	Psychology	12.0%
4	Political Science	5.8%
5	General Education, Specific Areas	5.0%

Show more common adjudicator majors

Best colleges for adjudicators

The best colleges for adjudicators are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An adjudicator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for adjudicators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become adjudicators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

3. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for adjudicators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for adjudicators

The most affordable schools for adjudicators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for adjudicators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for adjudicators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adjudicators

The hardest universities for adjudicators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for adjudicators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for adjudicators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adjudicators

The easiest schools for adjudicators to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, barry university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adjudicator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for adjudicators.

1. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average adjudicator salary by education level

Adjudicator education level	Adjudicator salary
Doctorate Degree	$41,779

Adjudicator education FAQs

What is the best college for Adjudicators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common legal questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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