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Homicide investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a homicide investigator. Homicide investigators usually study criminal justice, criminology, or business. 46% of homicide investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 120 real homicide investigator resumes to see exactly what homicide investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for homicide investigators are the Tallahassee Community College and the Tallahassee Community College.
There are also many online homicide investigator courses to help get the education required to be a homicide investigator.
What education do you need to become a homicide investigator?
What degree do you need to be a homicide investigator?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 32%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a homicide investigator?
- Criminal Justice, 49%
- Criminology, 10%
- Business, 8%
- Law Enforcement, 6%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for homicide investigators
| Homicide investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Tallahassee Community College | 8.33% |
| Westfield State University | 8.33% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 8.33% |
| Florida State University | 8.33% |
| Louisiana State University and A&M College | 4.17% |
Best majors for homicide investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 48.6% |
| 2 | Criminology | 9.7% |
| 3 | Business | 8.3% |
| 4 | Law Enforcement | 5.6% |
| 5 | General Studies | 4.2% |
Best colleges for homicide investigators
The best colleges for homicide investigators are Northeastern University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.
A homicide investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for homicide investigators. 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 homicide investigators.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
4. Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$31,450
Enrollment
3,170
5. University of New Haven
West Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$39,270
Enrollment
5,041
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
20 best online courses for homicide investigators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for homicide investigators
The most affordable schools for homicide investigators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for homicide investigators 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 homicide investigators.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for homicide investigators
The hardest universities for homicide investigators to get into are Northeastern University, Boston University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for homicide investigators 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 homicide investigators 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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
10. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for homicide investigators
The easiest schools for homicide investigators to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a homicide investigator 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 homicide investigators.
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. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
9. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
Average homicide investigator salary by education level
| Homicide investigator education level | Homicide investigator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,474 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $44,021 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,596 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,201 |
Homicide investigator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025