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Defensive driving instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a defensive driving instructor. Defensive driving instructors usually study business, criminal justice, or biology. 59% of defensive driving instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 352 real defensive driving instructor resumes to see exactly what defensive driving instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for defensive driving instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online defensive driving instructor courses to help get the education required to be a defensive driving instructor.
What education do you need to become a defensive driving instructor?
What degree do you need to be a defensive driving instructor?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 20%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a defensive driving instructor?
- Business, 23%
- Criminal Justice, 21%
- Biology, 6%
- General Studies, 4%
- Other Majors, 46%
Most common colleges for defensive driving instructors
| Defensive driving instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 10.64% |
| Liberty University | 6.38% |
| American University | 6.38% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.38% |
| Grand Canyon University | 6.38% |
Best majors for defensive driving instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.2% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 21.0% |
| 3 | Biology | 5.8% |
| 4 | General Studies | 4.3% |
| 5 | Political Science | 4.3% |
Best colleges for defensive driving instructors
The best colleges for defensive driving instructors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A defensive driving instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for defensive driving instructors. 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 defensive driving instructors.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
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. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
20 best online courses for defensive driving instructors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for defensive driving instructors
The most affordable schools for defensive driving instructors are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for defensive driving instructors 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 defensive driving instructors.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for defensive driving instructors
The hardest universities for defensive driving instructors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for defensive driving instructors 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 defensive driving instructors 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
10. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for defensive driving instructors
The easiest schools for defensive driving instructors 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 defensive driving instructor 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 defensive driving instructors.
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. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average defensive driving instructor salary by education level
| Defensive driving instructor education level | Defensive driving instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,366 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $46,194 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,389 |
| Doctorate Degree | $62,985 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,453 |
Defensive driving instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025