Campus police officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a campus police officer. Campus police officers usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 42% of campus police officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 870 real campus police officer resumes to see exactly what campus police officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for campus police officers are the Salem State University and the Salem State University.

There are also many online campus police officer courses to help get the education required to be a campus police officer.

What education do you need to become a campus police officer?

What degree do you need to be a campus police officer?

The most common degree for campus police officers is bachelor's degree, with 42% of campus police officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 42%

Associate, 27%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a campus police officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a campus police officer. 52% of campus police officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a campus police officer include law enforcement and business.

Criminal Justice, 52%

Law Enforcement, 9%

Business, 8%

General Studies, 5%

Other Majors, 26%

Most common colleges for campus police officers

Campus police officers often get their degrees at Salem State University, University of Phoenix, and Northeastern University. Here are the most common colleges for campus police officers in the US based on their resumes.

Campus police officer common college	Percentages
Salem State University	8.82%
University of Phoenix	7.35%
Northeastern University	7.35%
University of Massachusetts - Lowell	5.88%
Tennessee State University	5.88%

Show more common campus police officer colleges

Best majors for campus police officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	52.1%
2	Law Enforcement	8.8%
3	Business	8.1%
4	General Studies	4.7%
5	Education	3.4%

Show more common campus police officer majors

Best colleges for campus police officers

The best colleges for campus police officers are Northeastern University, Syracuse University, and University of Maryland - College Park.

A campus police 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 campus police 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 campus police officers.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$14,460

Enrollment

39,208

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. University of New Haven

West Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$39,270

Enrollment

5,041

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

8. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

9. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for campus police officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for campus police officers

The most affordable schools for campus police officers are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for campus police 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 campus police officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

10. Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Alva, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,471

Cost of attendance

15,616

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for campus police officers

The hardest universities for campus police officers to get into are Northeastern University, Syracuse University, and University of Maryland - College Park.

Some great schools for campus police 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 campus police 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

3. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

6. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

7. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,318

8. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,287

9. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,336

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,345

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for campus police officers

The easiest schools for campus police officers to get into are Nyack College, university of north texas at dallas, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a campus police 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 campus police officers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

Average campus police officer salary by education level

According to our data, campus police officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,163 annually. Campus police officers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $43,501.

Campus police officer education level	Campus police officer salary
Master's Degree	$44,163
High School Diploma or Less	$37,513
Bachelor's Degree	$42,131
Doctorate Degree	$43,501
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,325

Campus police officer education FAQs

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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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