Detective chief education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a detective chief. Detective chiefs usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or sociology. 57% of detective chiefs hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 71 real detective chief resumes to see exactly what detective chief education sections show.

The most common colleges for detective chiefs are the Webster University and the Webster University.

There are also many online detective chief courses to help get the education required to be a detective chief.

What education do you need to become a detective chief?

What degree do you need to be a detective chief?

The most common degree for detective chiefs is bachelor's degree, with 57% of detective chiefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 57%

Associate, 27%

Master's, 12%

Doctorate, 2%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a detective chief?

You should major in criminal justice to become a detective chief. 48% of detective chiefs major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a detective chief include law enforcement and sociology.

Criminal Justice, 48%

Law Enforcement, 8%

Sociology, 5%

Education, 5%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for detective chiefs

Detective chiefs often get their degrees at Webster University, American University, and Ball State University. Here are the most common colleges for detective chiefs in the US based on their resumes.

Detective chief common college	Percentages
Webster University	8.33%
American University	8.33%
Ball State University	8.33%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	8.33%
Rider University	4.17%

Show more common detective chief colleges

Best majors for detective chiefs

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	47.5%
2	Law Enforcement	8.2%
3	Sociology	4.9%
4	Education	4.9%
5	Law	4.9%

Show more common detective chief majors

Best colleges for detective chiefs

The best colleges for detective chiefs are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

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

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

20 best online courses for detective chiefs

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Top 10 most affordable universities for detective chiefs

The most affordable schools for detective chiefs are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for detective chiefs 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 detective chiefs.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for detective chiefs

The hardest universities for detective chiefs to get into are Northwestern University, Harvard University, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for detective chiefs 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 detective chiefs 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

9. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for detective chiefs

The easiest schools for detective chiefs to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a detective chief 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 detective chiefs.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

10. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

Average detective chief salary by education level

Detective chiefs with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $55,749 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, detective chiefs earn a median annual income of $53,365 compared to $47,446 for detective chiefs with an Associate degree.

Detective chief education level	Detective chief salary
Master's Degree	$55,749
High School Diploma or Less	$45,809
Bachelor's Degree	$53,365
Some College/ Associate Degree	$47,446

Detective chief education FAQs

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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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