Canine officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a canine officer. Canine officers usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 38% of canine officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 83 real canine officer resumes to see exactly what canine officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for canine officers are the Angelo State University and the Angelo State University.

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

What education do you need to become a canine officer?

What degree do you need to be a canine officer?

The most common degree for canine officers is bachelor's degree, with 38% of canine officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 38%

Associate, 24%

High School Diploma, 21%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a canine officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a canine officer. 33% of canine officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a canine officer include law enforcement and business.

Criminal Justice, 33%

Law Enforcement, 17%

Business, 6%

Law, 6%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for canine officers

Canine officers often get their degrees at Angelo State University, University of Scranton, and Montclair State University. Here are the most common colleges for canine officers in the US based on their resumes.

Canine officer common college	Percentages
Angelo State University	9.52%
University of Scranton	4.76%
Montclair State University	4.76%
Marshall University	4.76%
University of South Dakota	4.76%

Show more common canine officer colleges

Best majors for canine officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	33.3%
2	Law Enforcement	16.7%
3	Business	6.3%
4	Law	6.3%
5	Animal Science	4.2%

Show more common canine officer majors

Best colleges for canine officers

The best colleges for canine officers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A canine 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 canine 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 canine officers.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$10,822

Enrollment

42,529

20 best online courses for canine officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for canine officers

The most affordable schools for canine officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for canine 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 canine officers.

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 - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for canine officers

The hardest universities for canine officers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for canine 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 canine 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for canine officers

The easiest schools for canine officers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, notre dame college, and nyack college.

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

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

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. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average canine officer salary by education level

Canine officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,044 annually. With a Doctorate degree, canine officers earn a median annual income of $46,954 compared to $44,920 for canine officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Canine officer education level	Canine officer salary
Master's Degree	$48,044
High School Diploma or Less	$38,032
Bachelor's Degree	$44,920
Doctorate Degree	$46,954
Some College/ Associate Degree	$42,185

Canine officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Canine Officers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for canine officer 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

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