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Correctional agency director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a correctional agency director. Correctional agency directors usually study sociology, criminal justice, or social work. 47% of correctional agency directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 21 real correctional agency director resumes to see exactly what correctional agency director education sections show.

The most common colleges for correctional agency directors are the Western Washington University and the Western Washington University.

There are also many online correctional agency director courses to help get the education required to be a correctional agency director.

What education do you need to become a correctional agency director?

What degree do you need to be a correctional agency director?

The most common degree for correctional agency directors is bachelor's degree, with 47% of correctional agency directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 47%
  • Master's, 20%
  • Doctorate, 13%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a correctional agency director?

You should major in sociology to become a correctional agency director. 12% of correctional agency directors major in sociology. Other common majors for a correctional agency director include criminal justice and social work.

Most common colleges for correctional agency directors

Correctional agency directors often get their degrees at Western Washington University, University of Washington, and Eastern Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for correctional agency directors in the US based on their resumes.
Correctional agency director common collegePercentages
Western Washington University7.69%
University of Washington7.69%
Eastern Michigan University7.69%
California Coast University7.69%
Montclair State University7.69%

Best majors for correctional agency directors

RankMajorPercentages
1Sociology11.8%
2Criminal Justice11.8%
3Social Work11.8%
4Education11.8%
5Business/Commerce5.9%

Best colleges for correctional agency directors

The best colleges for correctional agency directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

A correctional agency director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for correctional agency directors. 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 correctional agency directors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for correctional agency directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for correctional agency directors

The most affordable schools for correctional agency directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - fullerton, and university of florida.

If the best universities for correctional agency directors 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 correctional agency directors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for correctional agency directors

The hardest universities for correctional agency directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for correctional agency directors 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 correctional agency directors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,367

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for correctional agency directors

The easiest schools for correctional agency directors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and felician university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a correctional agency director 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 correctional agency directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Dominican College of Blauvelt

Orangeburg, NY • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,038

10. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

Average correctional agency director salary by education level

According to our data, correctional agency directors with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $96,510 annually. Correctional agency directors with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $96,491.
Correctional agency director education levelCorrectional agency director salary
Master's Degree$96,510
Bachelor's Degree$85,807
Doctorate Degree$96,491
Some College/ Associate Degree$60,592

Correctional agency director 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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