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Detention worker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a detention worker. Detention workers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or business. 54% of detention workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 202 real detention worker resumes to see exactly what detention worker education sections show.
The most common colleges for detention workers are the SUNY Buffalo State and the SUNY Buffalo State.
There are also many online detention worker courses to help get the education required to be a detention worker.
What education do you need to become a detention worker?
What degree do you need to be a detention worker?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a detention worker?
- Criminal Justice, 36%
- Psychology, 9%
- Business, 8%
- Sociology, 7%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for detention workers
| Detention worker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| SUNY Buffalo State | 12.20% |
| Florida State University | 9.76% |
| Northeastern State University | 7.32% |
| Troy University | 7.32% |
| University of Oregon | 7.32% |
Best majors for detention workers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 35.8% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.4% |
| 3 | Business | 7.5% |
| 4 | Sociology | 6.6% |
| 5 | Nursing | 4.7% |
Best colleges for detention workers
The best colleges for detention workers are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and University of Southern California.
A detention worker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for detention workers. 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 detention workers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,464
Enrollment
9,639
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
20 best online courses for detention workers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for detention workers
The most affordable schools for detention workers are California State University - Bakersfield, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for detention workers 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 detention workers.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for detention workers
The hardest universities for detention workers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for detention workers 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 detention workers 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. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for detention workers
The easiest schools for detention workers to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and kean university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a detention worker 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 detention workers.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
4. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
5. Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,059
6. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
7. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
8. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
9. Iona College
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,089
10. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
Average detention worker salary by education level
| Detention worker education level | Detention worker salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $43,929 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,128 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,304 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,126 |
Detention worker education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025