Agent education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be an FBI agent?

You need a bachelor's degree in criminal justice to be an FBI agent. This is the most common degree for this line of work, however, there are many other acceptable degrees, as the FBI does not require a specific degree or major to become an FBI agent. That is not to say it does not require higher education, but that there is not a specific degree-type requirement.

Q: What degree do you need to work for the FBI?

To work for the FBI, you need at least a four-year degree from an accredited college or university. FBI agents often earn degrees in fields such as criminal justice or political science, though the Bureau does not maintain any specific academic major requirements for applicants. Additionally, a background in criminal justice, national security studies, computer science, mathematics, engineering, or a foreign language can be beneficial.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an agent. Agents usually study business, criminal justice, or general studies. 44% of agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 86,040 real agent resumes to see exactly what agent education sections show.

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

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

There are certain agent certifications that you should consider. These agent certifications include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

What education do you need to become an agent?

What degree do you need to be an agent?

The most common degree for agents is bachelor's degree, with 44% of agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 21% and high school diploma degree at 19%.

Bachelor's, 44%

High School Diploma, 21%

Associate, 19%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become an agent?

You should major in business to become an agent. 31% of agents major in business. Other common majors for an agent include criminal justice and general studies.

Business, 31%

Criminal Justice, 8%

General Studies, 6%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for agents

Agents often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami Dade College, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for agents in the US based on their resumes.

Agent common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	25.26%
Miami Dade College	5.59%
DeVry University	5.21%
Arizona State University	4.88%
Western Washington University	4.43%

Show more common agent colleges

Best majors for agents

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	30.6%
2	Criminal Justice	8.2%
3	General Studies	5.6%
4	Psychology	5.5%
5	Accounting	5.2%

Show more common agent majors

Best colleges for agents

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

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

4. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

5. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

8. University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,912

Enrollment

14,245

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. Butler University

Indianapolis, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$41,120

Enrollment

4,553

20 best online courses for agents

Advertising disclosure

1. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

2. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

3. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2

4.4

(5,370)

Part 2...

4. Fundamentals of Insurance - 1

4.4

(8,948)

Part 1...

5. Customer Service

4.6

(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

6. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

4.4

(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

7. Zendesk for Customer Service Agents Training Course

4.6

(1,065)

How to provide great customer support using Zendesk, a course for beginners...

8. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

9. Your Customer Service Toolbox: Best Practices for Beginners

4.5

(4,101)

Excel as a front-line customer service agent using problem-solving & relationship-building skills, etiquette, and more...

10. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

11. Customer Service Foundation

4.5

(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

12. [2023] Customer Service 2.0: Learn Digital Customer Service

4.5

(3,956)

Used by Chase®, Intel®, & more! Learn soft skills, social media customer service, diagnosing user problems, & more...

13. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers

4.4

(1,161)

Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...

14. Customer Service: 6 Keys To Exceptional Customer Service

4.6

(601)

Master Customer Satisfaction & Astonish Your Customers With A+ Customer Service...

15. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting

4.2

(1,443)

Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...

16. Zendesk for Customer Service Agents-Complete Training Course

4.7

(317)

Learn how to use all available options of Zendesk and manage your tickets like a real PRO. This is a complete training...

17. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!

4.5

(292)

Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...

18. Customer Service Success: Take Your Skills to the Next Level

4.5

(2,276)

3-in-1 Customer Service Training: Levels 1, 2, 3 Improve Your Soft Communication Skills, Customer Support & Experience...

19. Excel Skills for Insurance Professionals

4.5

(1,046)

From Vlookups to Pivot Tables: Learn the Excel basics anyone working in the insurance industry needs to know!...

20. Customer Service: Keep 'em coming back!

4.5

(3,150)

How to give the best customer service in your industry and keep those customers raving about your business...

Top 10 most affordable universities for agents

The most affordable schools for agents are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for agents 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 agents.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for agents

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

Some great schools for agents 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 agents 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. 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. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

51%

SAT average

1,395

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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

The easiest schools for agents to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an agent 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 agents.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average agent salary by education level

Agents with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $45,684 annually. With a Master's degree, agents earn a median annual income of $45,540 compared to $41,357 for agents with an Doctorate degree.

Agent education level	Agent salary
Master's Degree	$45,540
High School Diploma or Less	$33,811
Bachelor's Degree	$45,684
Doctorate Degree	$41,357
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,635

Agent education FAQs

What degree do you need to be an FBI agent?

What degree do you need to work for the FBI?

What is the best college for Agents?

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

Search for agent jobs

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

Browse sales jobs