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Law enforcement director education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a law enforcement director. Law enforcement directors usually study criminal justice, law, or business. 56% of law enforcement directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 221 real law enforcement director resumes to see exactly what law enforcement director education sections show.
The most common colleges for law enforcement directors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online law enforcement director courses to help get the education required to be a law enforcement director.
What education do you need to become a law enforcement director?
What degree do you need to be a law enforcement director?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 15%
- Associate, 10%
- Other Degrees, 4%
What should I major in to become a law enforcement director?
- Criminal Justice, 26%
- Law, 16%
- Business, 12%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for law enforcement directors
| Law enforcement director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 12.77% |
| University of Akron | 6.38% |
| Harvard University | 6.38% |
| Liberty University | 6.38% |
| Western Washington University | 6.38% |
Best majors for law enforcement directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 26.0% |
| 2 | Law | 15.8% |
| 3 | Business | 11.6% |
| 4 | Political Science | 8.2% |
| 5 | Management | 4.8% |
Best colleges for law enforcement directors
The best colleges for law enforcement directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
A law enforcement director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for law enforcement directors. 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 law enforcement directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for law enforcement directors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for law enforcement directors
The most affordable schools for law enforcement directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for law enforcement directors 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 law enforcement directors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
10. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for law enforcement directors
The hardest universities for law enforcement directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for law enforcement directors 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 law enforcement directors 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for law enforcement directors
The easiest schools for law enforcement directors to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a law enforcement director 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 law enforcement directors.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
7. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
8. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
9. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average law enforcement director salary by education level
| Law enforcement director education level | Law enforcement director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $116,999 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $110,191 |
| Doctorate Degree | $116,987 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $92,276 |
Law enforcement director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025