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Highway patrol commander education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a highway patrol commander. Highway patrol commanders usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. 43% of highway patrol commanders hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 87 real highway patrol commander resumes to see exactly what highway patrol commander education sections show.
The most common colleges for highway patrol commanders are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.
There are also many online highway patrol commander courses to help get the education required to be a highway patrol commander.
What education do you need to become a highway patrol commander?
What degree do you need to be a highway patrol commander?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 14%
What should I major in to become a highway patrol commander?
- Criminal Justice, 27%
- Business, 13%
- Law Enforcement, 7%
- History, 4%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for highway patrol commanders
| Highway patrol commander common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Purdue University | 5.00% |
| California Coast University | 5.00% |
| Marietta College | 5.00% |
| Ohio State University | 5.00% |
| Eastern Oregon University | 5.00% |
Best majors for highway patrol commanders
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 26.7% |
| 2 | Business | 13.3% |
| 3 | Law Enforcement | 6.7% |
| 4 | History | 4.4% |
| 5 | Nursing | 4.4% |
Best colleges for highway patrol commanders
The best colleges for highway patrol commanders are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A highway patrol commander with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for highway patrol commanders. 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 highway patrol commanders.
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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
7. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
8. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
20 best online courses for highway patrol commanders
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Top 10 most affordable universities for highway patrol commanders
The most affordable schools for highway patrol commanders are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for highway patrol commanders 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 highway patrol commanders.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for highway patrol commanders
The hardest universities for highway patrol commanders to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for highway patrol commanders 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 highway patrol commanders 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for highway patrol commanders
The easiest schools for highway patrol commanders to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a highway patrol commander 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 highway patrol commanders.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average highway patrol commander salary by education level
| Highway patrol commander education level | Highway patrol commander salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $82,932 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $40,163 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $65,587 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,882 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,482 |
Highway patrol commander education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025