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Correctional probation officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a correctional probation officer. Correctional probation officers usually study criminal justice, criminology, or psychology. 72% of correctional probation officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 562 real correctional probation officer resumes to see exactly what correctional probation officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for correctional probation officers are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online correctional probation officer courses to help get the education required to be a correctional probation officer.
What education do you need to become a correctional probation officer?
What degree do you need to be a correctional probation officer?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a correctional probation officer?
- Criminal Justice, 44%
- Criminology, 10%
- Psychology, 9%
- Business, 6%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for correctional probation officers
| Correctional probation officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 22.22% |
| University of Central Florida | 11.70% |
| University of South Florida | 9.36% |
| University of Florida | 6.43% |
| Florida International University | 6.43% |
Best majors for correctional probation officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 43.7% |
| 2 | Criminology | 10.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 9.1% |
| 4 | Business | 5.9% |
| 5 | Sociology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for correctional probation officers
The best colleges for correctional probation officers are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A correctional probation officer 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 probation officers. 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 probation officers.
1. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
7. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
20 best online courses for correctional probation officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for correctional probation officers
The most affordable schools for correctional probation officers are USF Sarasota-Manatee, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for correctional probation officers 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 probation officers.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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 correctional probation officers
The hardest universities for correctional probation officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for correctional probation officers 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 probation officers 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for correctional probation officers
The easiest schools for correctional probation officers to get into are The University of Texas Permian Basin, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a correctional probation officer 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 probation officers.
1. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
Average correctional probation officer salary by education level
| Correctional probation officer education level | Correctional probation officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $50,458 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,749 |
Correctional probation officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025