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Chief of police education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief of police. Chiefs of police usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 43% of chiefs of police hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,479 real chief of police resumes to see exactly what chief of police education sections show.
The most common colleges for chiefs of police are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online chief of police courses to help get the education required to be a chief of police.
There are certain chief of police certifications that you should consider. These chief of police certifications include Certified Law Enforcement Analysts (CLEA) and Apple Certified Trainer (ACT).
What education do you need to become a chief of police?
What degree do you need to be a chief of police?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Associate, 28%
- Master's, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a chief of police?
- Criminal Justice, 48%
- Law Enforcement, 14%
- Business, 8%
- Law, 6%
- Other Majors, 24%
Most common colleges for chiefs of police
| Chief of police common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 10.34% |
| University of Phoenix | 9.48% |
| Northwestern University | 8.19% |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | 5.60% |
| Sam Houston State University | 5.60% |
Best majors for chiefs of police
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 48.3% |
| 2 | Law Enforcement | 13.7% |
| 3 | Business | 8.1% |
| 4 | Law | 6.4% |
| 5 | Management | 3.2% |
Best colleges for chiefs of police
The best colleges for chiefs of police are Northeastern University, SUNY at Binghamton, and American University.
A chief of police with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for chiefs of police. 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 chiefs of police.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
3. University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$12,467
Enrollment
33,509
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. University of New Haven
West Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$39,270
Enrollment
5,041
6. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Enrollment
41,777
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
8. Temple University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$16,970
Enrollment
28,965
9. University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,138
Enrollment
13,743
10. Marian University
Fond Du Lac, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,400
Enrollment
1,417
20 best online courses for chiefs of police
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2. Introduction to International Criminal Law
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3. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
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5. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes
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6. An Introduction to American Law
This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...
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9. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals
The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...
10. Privacy Law and HIPAA
What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...
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12. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
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13. Privacy Law and Data Protection
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14. What is Corruption: Anti-Corruption and Compliance
Have you ever paid someone for doing you a favor? You may be accustomed to tipping wait staff or other service providers, but what if you paid a police officer for NOT issuing a parking ticket? Or if you gave a “gift” to a government official for signing a contract with your company? Tipping might be okay, but paying a bribe is a violation of the law. Bribery is widespread and exists almost everywhere and in many forms. Compliance programs address this and other forms of corruption. In this...
15. Psychology of Criminal Behaviour & Criminology - ACCREDITED
Personality Disorders, Violence, Sex Offence, Murder, and other types of crime...
16. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
17. Citizenship and the Rule of Law
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Top 10 most affordable universities for chiefs of police
The most affordable schools for chiefs of police are California State University - Bakersfield, florida international university, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for chiefs of police 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 chiefs of police.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. 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
6. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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 chiefs of police
The hardest universities for chiefs of police to get into are Northeastern University, SUNY at Binghamton, and American University.
Some great schools for chiefs of police 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 chiefs of police 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. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
3. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
4. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
5. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
6. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
7. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
9. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,347
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chiefs of police
The easiest schools for chiefs of police to get into are Notre Dame College, the university of texas at el paso, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief of police 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 chiefs of police.
1. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
2. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
7. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
8. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
9. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average chief of police salary by education level
| Chief of police education level | Chief of police salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,467 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $69,763 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,634 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $74,463 |
Chief of police education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025