Detective education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a detective. Detectives usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. 54% of detectives hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,677 real detective resumes to see exactly what detective education sections show.

The most common colleges for detectives are the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York.

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

There are certain detective certifications that you should consider. These detective certifications include Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Criminal Investigator.

What education do you need to become a detective?

What degree do you need to be a detective?

The most common degree for detectives is bachelor's degree, with 54% of detectives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 24%

High School Diploma, 8%

Master's, 8%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a detective?

You should major in criminal justice to become a detective. 52% of detectives major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a detective include business and law enforcement.

Criminal Justice, 52%

Business, 8%

Law Enforcement, 7%

Law, 5%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for detectives

Detectives often get their degrees at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, University of Phoenix, and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Here are the most common colleges for detectives in the US based on their resumes.

Detective common college	Percentages
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	14.73%
University of Phoenix	10.34%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey	7.84%
Fairleigh Dickinson University	4.70%
University of Maryland - College Park	4.70%

Show more common detective colleges

Best majors for detectives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	52.2%
2	Business	8.0%
3	Law Enforcement	7.2%
4	Law	4.6%
5	Psychology	3.4%

Show more common detective majors

Best colleges for detectives

The best colleges for detectives are University of Maryland - College Park, University of Tulsa, and University of Washington.

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

1. University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$12,467

Enrollment

33,509

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

4. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$9,101

Enrollment

23,708

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

7. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$14,974

Enrollment

35,656

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

20 best online courses for detectives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for detectives

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

If the best universities for detectives 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 detectives.

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. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for detectives

The hardest universities for detectives to get into are University of Maryland - College Park, University of Tulsa, and University of Washington.

Some great schools for detectives 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 detectives 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 Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

4. Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,287

5. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

6. North Carolina State University

Raleigh, NC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,336

7. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,345

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for detectives

The easiest schools for detectives to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, 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 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 detectives.

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

Average detective salary by education level

Detectives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $68,102 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, detectives earn a median annual income of $64,951 compared to $53,551 for detectives with an Associate degree.

Detective education level	Detective salary
Master's Degree	$68,102
High School Diploma or Less	$48,960
Bachelor's Degree	$64,951
Some College/ Associate Degree	$53,551

Detective 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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