Correction worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a correction worker. Correction workers usually study criminal justice, social work, or psychology. 65% of correction workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 210 real correction worker resumes to see exactly what correction worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for correction workers are the Wichita State University and the Wichita State University.

There are also many online correction worker courses to help get the education required to be a correction worker.

What education do you need to become a correction worker?

What degree do you need to be a correction worker?

The most common degree for correction workers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of correction workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a correction worker?

You should major in criminal justice to become a correction worker. 37% of correction workers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a correction worker include social work and psychology.

Criminal Justice, 37%

Social Work, 10%

Psychology, 8%

Business, 7%

Other Majors, 38%

Most common colleges for correction workers

Correction workers often get their degrees at Wichita State University, Bemidji State University, and Friends University. Here are the most common colleges for correction workers in the US based on their resumes.

Correction worker common college	Percentages
Wichita State University	36.11%
Bemidji State University	16.67%
Friends University	12.50%
Western Illinois University	2.78%
Abilene Christian University	2.78%

Show more common correction worker colleges

Best majors for correction workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	36.6%
2	Social Work	9.8%
3	Psychology	8.1%
4	Business	6.5%
5	Sociology	5.7%

Show more common correction worker majors

Best colleges for correction workers

The best colleges for correction workers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Swarthmore College.

A correction worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for correction workers. 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 correction workers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

4. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. Northwest Nazarene University

Nampa, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$29,800

Enrollment

1,268

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for correction workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for correction workers

The most affordable schools for correction workers are California State University - Long Beach, usf sarasota-manatee, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for correction workers 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 correction workers.

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. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for correction workers

The hardest universities for correction workers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Swarthmore College.

Some great schools for correction workers 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 correction workers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,465

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for correction workers

The easiest schools for correction workers to get into are Bluefield College, gwynedd mercy university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a correction worker 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 correction workers.

1. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average correction worker salary by education level

According to our data, correction workers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,125 annually. Correction workers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $43,579.

Correction worker education level	Correction worker salary
Master's Degree	$45,125
High School Diploma or Less	$38,467
Bachelor's Degree	$43,579
Some College/ Associate Degree	$41,650

Correction worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Correction Workers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for correction worker 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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