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Chief deputy sheriff education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a chief deputy sheriff. Chief deputy sheriffs usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 52% of chief deputy sheriffs hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 74 real chief deputy sheriff resumes to see exactly what chief deputy sheriff education sections show.

The most common colleges for chief deputy sheriffs are the University of Southern Maine and the University of Southern Maine.

There are also many online chief deputy sheriff courses to help get the education required to be a chief deputy sheriff.

What education do you need to become a chief deputy sheriff?

What degree do you need to be a chief deputy sheriff?

The most common degree for chief deputy sheriffs is bachelor's degree, with 52% of chief deputy sheriffs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 32% and associate degree degree at 3%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 32%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Doctorate, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a chief deputy sheriff?

You should major in criminal justice to become a chief deputy sheriff. 40% of chief deputy sheriffs major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a chief deputy sheriff include law enforcement and business.

Most common colleges for chief deputy sheriffs

Chief deputy sheriffs often get their degrees at University of Southern Maine, Northwestern University, and Bluefield College. Here are the most common colleges for chief deputy sheriffs in the US based on their resumes.
Chief deputy sheriff common collegePercentages
University of Southern Maine9.09%
Northwestern University9.09%
Bluefield College4.55%
Drury University4.55%
Indiana University Bloomington4.55%

Best majors for chief deputy sheriffs

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice40.4%
2Law Enforcement10.6%
3Business6.4%
4Law6.4%
5Psychology4.3%

Best colleges for chief deputy sheriffs

The best colleges for chief deputy sheriffs are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Duke University.

A chief deputy sheriff with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chief deputy sheriffs. 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 chief deputy sheriffs.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for chief deputy sheriffs

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2. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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5. Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

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The American criminal justice system is in need of reform. We incarcerate too many people. We pay insufficient attention to scientific advances that can help separate out the most and least culpable and dangerous. We grant the police far too much power to use force and technological surveillance. As a way of thinking about dealing with these problems, this course examines two over-arching issues: What should we do with people who have committed crime, and how should we identify who they are? On...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for chief deputy sheriffs

The most affordable schools for chief deputy sheriffs are California State University - Long Beach, usf sarasota-manatee, and brigham young university.

If the best universities for chief deputy sheriffs 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 chief deputy sheriffs.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

3. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

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 chief deputy sheriffs

The hardest universities for chief deputy sheriffs to get into are Northwestern University, Northeastern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for chief deputy sheriffs 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 chief deputy sheriffs 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief deputy sheriffs

The easiest schools for chief deputy sheriffs to get into are Bluefield 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 chief deputy sheriff 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 chief deputy sheriffs.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

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. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

7. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

8. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

9. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average chief deputy sheriff salary by education level

Chief deputy sheriffs with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $56,789 annually. With a Doctorate degree, chief deputy sheriffs earn a median annual income of $55,387 compared to $52,532 for chief deputy sheriffs with an Bachelor's degree.
Chief deputy sheriff education levelChief deputy sheriff salary
Master's Degree$56,789
High School Diploma or Less$43,353
Bachelor's Degree$52,532
Doctorate Degree$55,387
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,859

Chief deputy sheriff education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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