Correction Officer Education Requirements And Courses

Correction officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

Usually, correction officers don't need a college education. The most common degree for correction officers is high school diploma with 30% graduates, with only 29% correction officer graduates earning bachelor's degree. Correction officers who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Sam Houston State University. Some good skills to have in this position include public safety, correctional facility and emergency situations.

Popular correction officer certifications include Certified Corrections Officer (CCO), Certified Corrections Manager (CCM), or First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor. To improve correction officer qualification and skills, we prepared some online courses to help in correction officer education paths.

What education do you need to become a correction officer?

What degree do you need to be a correction officer?

The most common degree for correction officers is high school diploma, with 30% of correction officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 29% and bachelor's degree degree at 25%.

High School Diploma, 30%

Bachelor's, 29%

Associate, 25%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a correction officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a correction officer. 46% of correction officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a correction officer include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 46%

Business, 12%

General Studies, 7%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 30%

Best majors for correction officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	46.1%
2	Business	12.0%
3	General Studies	7.1%
4	Psychology	4.6%
5	Law Enforcement	3.4%

Show more common correction officer majors

20 best online courses for correction officers

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Average correction officer salary by education level

Correction officers with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $42,545 annually. With a Associate degree, correction officers earn a median annual income of $41,375 compared to $39,391 for correction officers with an High School Diploma degree.

Correction officer education level	Correction officer salary
High School Diploma or Less	$39,391
Bachelor's Degree	$42,545
Some College/ Associate Degree	$41,375