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Arson investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an arson investigator. Arson investigators usually study fire science and protection, criminal justice, or business. 49% of arson investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 103 real arson investigator resumes to see exactly what arson investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for arson investigators are the Central State University and the Central State University.
There are also many online arson investigator courses to help get the education required to be an arson investigator.
There are certain arson investigator certifications that you should consider. These arson investigator certifications include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Professional Certified Investigator (PCI).
What education do you need to become an arson investigator?
What degree do you need to be an arson investigator?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 32%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become an arson investigator?
- Criminal Justice, 25%
- Business, 9%
- Law Enforcement, 5%
- Other Majors, 30%
Most common colleges for arson investigators
| Arson investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Central State University | 9.09% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 9.09% |
| Western Washington University | 4.55% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 4.55% |
| Purdue University | 4.55% |
Best majors for arson investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fire Science And Protection | 30.8% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 24.6% |
| 3 | Business | 9.2% |
| 4 | Law Enforcement | 4.6% |
| 5 | Law | 3.1% |
Best colleges for arson investigators
The best colleges for arson investigators are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An arson investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for arson investigators. 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 arson investigators.
1. University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Lincoln, NE • Private
In-state tuition
$9,242
Enrollment
20,592
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$30,346
Enrollment
1,903
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
8. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
9. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
10. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Enrollment
24,163
20 best online courses for arson investigators
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10. The Effect of Fires on People, Property and the Environment
Fires impact people, property and the environment in all countries around the world. In some cases, the resulting losses are extraordinary, causing hundreds of deaths, widespread damage to property and contents and significant impacts on the environment. More often, fires may cause a single casualty or affect a single home, though the effects are still highly significant to those affected and collectively are substantial. This course will provide an overview of the challenges posed by fire as...
11. Investigative Journalism
How to find hidden sources. How to look for documents and people...
12. IFCI Expert Cybercrime Investigator's Course
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13. AML Case Investigation Skills
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14. Forensic Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE
Become a specialist in criminal investigations and forensic profiling, start your career and add certificate to resume!...
15. Digital Forensics and Cyber-Crime Investigation
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16. Forensic accounting, fraud investigation and fraud analytics
The 14 hour course(50casestudies) helps to understand fraud examination, forensic audit,financial crime, data analytics...
17. Criminology and Criminal Psychology Certified CSI+ Course
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18. Digital Forensics Masterclass: Forensic Science 2023 DFMC+
Learn digital forensics and be computer forensics investigator / Certificate after completing course / DFMC+ / DFIR 2023...
19. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
20. Mantaflow Fire & Smoke Simulation Guide in Blender
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Top 10 most affordable universities for arson investigators
The most affordable schools for arson investigators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for arson investigators 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 arson investigators.
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. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Cost of attendance
14,177
9. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for arson investigators
The hardest universities for arson investigators to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for arson investigators 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 arson investigators 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
7. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
8. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for arson investigators
The easiest schools for arson investigators to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an arson investigator 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 arson investigators.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average arson investigator salary by education level
| Arson investigator education level | Arson investigator salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $50,203 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,911 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,425 |
Arson investigator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025