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Adult parole officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adult parole officer. Adult parole officers usually study criminal justice, sociology, or social work. 65% of adult parole officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 31 real adult parole officer resumes to see exactly what adult parole officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for adult parole officers are the University of Nevada - Las Vegas and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

There are also many online adult parole officer courses to help get the education required to be an adult parole officer.

What education do you need to become an adult parole officer?

What degree do you need to be an adult parole officer?

The most common degree for adult parole officers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of adult parole officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 23% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Master's, 23%
  • Associate, 12%

What should I major in to become an adult parole officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become an adult parole officer. 38% of adult parole officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for an adult parole officer include sociology and social work.

Most common colleges for adult parole officers

Adult parole officers often get their degrees at University of Nevada - Las Vegas, Tiffin University, and University of Nevada - Reno. Here are the most common colleges for adult parole officers in the US based on their resumes.
Adult parole officer common collegePercentages
University of Nevada - Las Vegas9.52%
Tiffin University4.76%
University of Nevada - Reno4.76%
Washington State University4.76%
Loyola University Chicago4.76%

Best majors for adult parole officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice37.9%
2Sociology13.8%
3Social Work10.3%
4Liberal Arts6.9%
5Public Administration3.4%

Best colleges for adult parole officers

The best colleges for adult parole officers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

An adult parole officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for adult parole officers. 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 adult parole officers.

1. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

20 best online courses for adult parole officers

Advertising disclosure

1. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes

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5. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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International Law in Action explains the functions of each international court and tribunal present in The Hague, and it looks at how these institutions address contemporary problems. On the basis of selected cases, and through interviews with judges and lawyers, you will explore the role of these courts and tribunals and their potential to contribute to global justice. The first module of the course will investigate how judicial settlement is different from other more political forms of...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for adult parole officers

The most affordable schools for adult parole officers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for adult parole officers 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 adult parole officers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adult parole officers

The hardest universities for adult parole officers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for adult parole officers 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 adult parole officers 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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 adult parole officers

The easiest schools for adult parole officers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and ottawa university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an adult parole officer 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 adult parole officers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average adult parole officer salary by education level

According to our data, adult parole officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,365 annually. Adult parole officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $48,500.
Adult parole officer education levelAdult parole officer salary
Master's Degree$53,365
Bachelor's Degree$48,500

Adult parole officer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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