Investigator education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be an investigator?

You will need at least a high school diploma or GED to become an investigator. Though not required, many professionals choose to pursue an associate's or bachelor's degree in criminal justice. If you want to specialize in this field, most will require additional education.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an investigator. Investigators usually study criminal justice, business, or psychology. 62% of investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 22,273 real investigator resumes to see exactly what investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for investigators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online investigator courses to help get the education required to be an investigator.

There are certain investigator certifications that you should consider. These investigator certifications include Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Professional Certified Investigator (PCI).

What education do you need to become an investigator?

What degree do you need to be an investigator?

The most common degree for investigators is bachelor's degree, with 62% of investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 62%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 12%

Doctorate, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an investigator?

You should major in criminal justice to become an investigator. 35% of investigators major in criminal justice. Other common majors for an investigator include business and psychology.

Criminal Justice, 35%

Business, 12%

Psychology, 10%

Social Work, 4%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for investigators

Investigators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for investigators in the US based on their resumes.

Investigator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.80%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	7.84%
University of Maryland - College Park	6.20%
Sam Houston State University	6.14%
Texas A&M University	5.29%

Show more common investigator colleges

Best majors for investigators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	34.9%
2	Business	12.1%
3	Psychology	9.7%
4	Social Work	4.3%
5	Political Science	3.9%

Show more common investigator majors

Best colleges for investigators

The best colleges for investigators are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

An 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 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 investigators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for investigators

Advertising disclosure

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2. Threat Investigation

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3. AML Case Investigation Skills

4.5

(1,289)

A guide to conducting AML case investigations, writing quality case narratives and the submission of STRs (STR filing)...

4. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports

4.6

(525)

Learn the Fundamentals of SAR Filing in Anti-Money Laundering Compliance/KYC & How to write a stellar SAR Narrative!...

5. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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6. Investigating Epidemics like COVID-19: An Analyst's Guide

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7. Investigative Journalism

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How to find hidden sources. How to look for documents and people...

8. IFCI Expert Cybercrime Investigator's Course

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9. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague

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10. Forensic accounting, fraud investigation and fraud analytics

4.3

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The 14 hour course(50casestudies) helps to understand fraud examination, forensic audit,financial crime, data analytics...

11. Digital Forensics and Cyber-Crime Investigation

4.2

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Computer Forensics...

12. Digital Forensics Masterclass: Forensic Science 2023 DFMC+

4.1

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Learn digital forensics and be computer forensics investigator / Certificate after completing course / DFMC+ / DFIR 2023...

13. Forensic Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

4.6

(3,931)

Become a specialist in criminal investigations and forensic profiling, start your career and add certificate to resume!...

14. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

4.6

(414)

A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

15. Criminology and Criminal Psychology Certified CSI+ Course

4.2

(339)

Learn Criminal Law and Start your career with certification of Criminal Law and Criminal Psychology, Learn Criminology...

16. The Complete Guide To Anti Money Laundering (AML) Compliance

4.4

(1,511)

What You Should Know about Anti Money Laundering (AML), AML Compliance, AML Policies, and Know Your Customer (KYC)...

17. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

18. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

19. Cyber Crime Analyst Part 1

(250)

Types of Cyber Crime...

20. Cryptocurrency Financial Crime Compliance Bootcamp

4.4

(484)

Blockchain/Crypto Financial Crime Money Laundering Terrorist Financing AML & CTF Regulation Compliance Tools...

Top 10 most affordable universities for investigators

The most affordable schools for investigators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for 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 investigators.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for investigators

The hardest universities for investigators to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for 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 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

7. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for investigators to get into are Nyack College, notre dame college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an 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 investigators.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

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. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

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 investigator salary by education level

According to our data, investigators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $93,404 annually. Investigators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $79,229.

Investigator education level	Investigator salary
Master's Degree	$93,404
High School Diploma or Less	$62,345
Bachelor's Degree	$79,229
Some College/ Associate Degree	$66,946

Investigator 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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