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Parole agent education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a parole agent. Parole agents usually study criminal justice, psychology, or sociology. 70% of parole agents hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 783 real parole agent resumes to see exactly what parole agent education sections show.

The most common colleges for parole agents are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.

There are also many online parole agent courses to help get the education required to be a parole agent.

What education do you need to become a parole agent?

What degree do you need to be a parole agent?

The most common degree for parole agents is bachelor's degree, with 70% of parole agents earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 13% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 70%
  • Associate, 13%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a parole agent?

You should major in criminal justice to become a parole agent. 48% of parole agents major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a parole agent include psychology and sociology.

Most common colleges for parole agents

Parole agents often get their degrees at University of Wisconsin Colleges, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. Here are the most common colleges for parole agents in the US based on their resumes.
Parole agent common collegePercentages
University of Wisconsin Colleges18.47%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point8.92%
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee8.28%
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater5.10%
University of Phoenix5.10%

Best majors for parole agents

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice48.1%
2Psychology10.7%
3Sociology7.3%
4Business5.7%
5Social Work5.2%

Best colleges for parole agents

The best colleges for parole agents are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.

A parole agent with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for parole agents. 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 parole agents.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

7. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

8. Coppin State University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$8,873

Enrollment

2,326

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

20 best online courses for parole agents

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Top 10 most affordable universities for parole agents

The most affordable schools for parole agents are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for parole agents 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 parole agents.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

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 - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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 parole agents

The hardest universities for parole agents to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.

Some great schools for parole agents 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 parole agents 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. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for parole agents

The easiest schools for parole agents to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a parole agent 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 parole agents.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

6. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

7. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

8. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average parole agent salary by education level

According to our data, parole agents with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $49,281 annually. Parole agents with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $45,081.
Parole agent education levelParole agent salary
Master's Degree$49,281
Bachelor's Degree$45,081

Parole agent education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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