Adult probation officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an adult probation officer. Adult probation officers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or sociology. 78% of adult probation officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 919 real adult probation officer resumes to see exactly what adult probation officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for adult probation officers are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.

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

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

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

The most common degree for adult probation officers is bachelor's degree, with 78% of adult probation officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 11% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 78%

Master's, 11%

Associate, 8%

High School Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in criminal justice to become an adult probation officer. 46% of adult probation officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for an adult probation officer include psychology and sociology.

Criminal Justice, 46%

Psychology, 12%

Sociology, 10%

Social Work, 5%

Other Majors, 27%

Most common colleges for adult probation officers

Adult probation officers often get their degrees at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and Sam Houston State University. Here are the most common colleges for adult probation officers in the US based on their resumes.

Adult probation officer common college	Percentages
Arizona State University	11.88%
Northern Arizona University	8.42%
Sam Houston State University	7.43%
University of Phoenix	5.45%
Ball State University	5.45%

Show more common adult probation officer colleges

Best majors for adult probation officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	45.5%
2	Psychology	11.8%
3	Sociology	9.7%
4	Social Work	4.9%
5	Business	3.8%

Show more common adult probation officer majors

Best colleges for adult probation officers

The best colleges for adult probation officers are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An adult probation 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 probation 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 probation officers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

7. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

8. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for adult probation officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for adult probation officers

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

If the best universities for adult probation 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 probation officers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for adult probation officers

The hardest universities for adult probation officers to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for adult probation 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 probation 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for adult probation officers

The easiest schools for adult probation officers to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and the university of texas permian basin.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

7. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average adult probation officer salary by education level

According to our data, adult probation officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,212 annually. Adult probation officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $47,437.

Adult probation officer education level	Adult probation officer salary
Master's Degree	$52,212
Bachelor's Degree	$47,437

Adult probation officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Adult Probation Officers?

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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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