Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Customs and border protection officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a customs and border protection officer. Customs and border protection officers usually study criminal justice, business, or political science. 63% of customs and border protection officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 290 real customs and border protection officer resumes to see exactly what customs and border protection officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for customs and border protection officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online customs and border protection officer courses to help get the education required to be a customs and border protection officer.
What education do you need to become a customs and border protection officer?
What degree do you need to be a customs and border protection officer?
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 17%
- Master's, 12%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a customs and border protection officer?
- Criminal Justice, 43%
- Business, 15%
- Law, 3%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for customs and border protection officers
| Customs and border protection officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.76% |
| San Diego State University | 7.84% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 7.84% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | 5.88% |
| Long Island University | 5.88% |
Best majors for customs and border protection officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 43.0% |
| 2 | Business | 15.4% |
| 3 | Political Science | 4.0% |
| 4 | Law | 3.4% |
| 5 | Finance | 3.4% |
Best colleges for customs and border protection officers
The best colleges for customs and border protection officers are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A customs and border protection 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 customs and border protection 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 customs and border protection officers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
10. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
20 best online courses for customs and border protection officers
Advertising disclosure
1. Privacy Law and Data Protection
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...
2. 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...
3. English for Business and Law - Contract Law
An English language course for business and law...
4. Company Law: A Comprehensive Summary
An in-depth summary of Company Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations...
5. Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity
Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud...
6. 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...
7. Law of Attraction: Law of Attraction and your Perfect Life
Take control - Law of Attraction - NLP coach teaches the Mastery of the LOA in one of the top law of attraction courses...
8. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy
A comprehensive course for management to understand key employment law issues in the workplace...
9. India Customs and Allied laws Specialization
Want to start a career as a Customs professional in India or want to enhance your knowledge in the field of Customs? Companies seek individuals with Customs expertise to help them adopt correct compliance positions and manage imports and exports effectively. This requirement is not only from a Customs compliance standpoint but also from the perspective of guiding on the interplay of Customs compliance with the operational and logistics aspects of the business. They are responsible for preparing...
10. Cross-border road transport in EU law context
Have you ever wondered which legal rules are applicable to cross-border EU road transport? Are you interested in the issues revolving around EU employment law in the international road transport sector? Then, on behalf of the University of Antwerp, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Gdańsk, University of Luxembourg and Tilburg University, we would like to welcome you to this MOOC on Cross-border Road Transport in EU law context. This MOOC is a part of the Erasmus + Project funded by...
11. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...
12. Effective Legal Office Administration
Effective Legal Office Administration...
13. Cloud Computing Law
This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...
14. American Contract Law II
Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...
15. Social Media Monitoring and Privacy Law
Learn to monitor social networks without violating privacy rights in this course on lawful social media surveillance...
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. 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...
18. Introduction to International Criminal Law
-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...
19. Law of Attraction Coach Practitioner Cert (ACCREDITED)
Uncover the Law of Attraction & use it to help you & your clients benefit from all that the law of attraction offers us...
20. A Law Student's Toolkit
Whether you are an advanced law student looking to review the basics, or an aspiring law student looking for head start, this course will help you build the foundation you will need to succeed in law school and beyond. This course will introduce you to terminology, concepts, and tools lawyers and legal academics use to make their arguments. It will help you follow these arguments—and make arguments of your own. This course consists of a series of short lectures and assignments. A reading list...
Top 10 most affordable universities for customs and border protection officers
The most affordable schools for customs and border protection officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for customs and border protection 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 customs and border protection officers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
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 customs and border protection officers
The hardest universities for customs and border protection officers to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for customs and border protection 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 customs and border protection 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
8. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
9. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for customs and border protection officers
The easiest schools for customs and border protection officers to get into are Nyack College, notre dame college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a customs and border protection 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 customs and border protection officers.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average customs and border protection officer salary by education level
| Customs and border protection officer education level | Customs and border protection officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $72,997 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $45,782 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,827 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,727 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $56,304 |
Customs and border protection officer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.
Search for customs and border protection officer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025