Patrol commander education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a patrol commander. Patrol commanders usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 55% of patrol commanders hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 290 real patrol commander resumes to see exactly what patrol commander education sections show.

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

There are also many online patrol commander courses to help get the education required to be a patrol commander.

What education do you need to become a patrol commander?

What degree do you need to be a patrol commander?

The most common degree for patrol commanders is bachelor's degree, with 55% of patrol commanders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 11%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a patrol commander?

You should major in criminal justice to become a patrol commander. 39% of patrol commanders major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a patrol commander include law enforcement and business.

Criminal Justice, 39%

Law Enforcement, 10%

Business, 9%

Law, 8%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for patrol commanders

Patrol commanders often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Tyler Junior College, and Roger Williams University. Here are the most common colleges for patrol commanders in the US based on their resumes.

Patrol commander common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	13.89%
Tyler Junior College	5.56%
Roger Williams University	5.56%
Seton Hall University	5.56%
University of North Florida	5.56%

Show more common patrol commander colleges

Best majors for patrol commanders

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	39.3%
2	Law Enforcement	9.8%
3	Business	8.7%
4	Law	7.5%
5	Public Administration	5.2%

Show more common patrol commander majors

Best colleges for patrol commanders

The best colleges for patrol commanders are Northeastern University, SUNY at Binghamton, and American University.

A 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 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 patrol commanders.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$12,467

Enrollment

33,509

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. University of New Haven

West Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$39,270

Enrollment

5,041

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

7. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

8. Temple University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$16,970

Enrollment

28,965

9. University of Rhode Island

Kingston, RI • Private

In-state tuition

$14,138

Enrollment

13,743

10. Marian University

Fond Du Lac, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,400

Enrollment

1,417

20 best online courses for patrol commanders

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Top 10 most affordable universities for patrol commanders

The most affordable schools for patrol commanders are California State University - Bakersfield, florida international university, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for 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 patrol commanders.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Alva, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,471

Cost of attendance

15,616

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patrol commanders

The hardest universities for patrol commanders to get into are Northeastern University, SUNY at Binghamton, and American University.

Some great schools for 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 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. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

2. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

3. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

4. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,345

7. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for patrol commanders

The easiest schools for patrol commanders to get into are Notre Dame College, the university of texas at el paso, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a 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 patrol commanders.

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average patrol commander salary by education level

Patrol commanders with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $107,980 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, patrol commanders earn a median annual income of $99,819 compared to $80,800 for patrol commanders with an Associate degree.

Patrol commander education level	Patrol commander salary
Master's Degree	$107,980
High School Diploma or Less	$75,857
Bachelor's Degree	$99,819
Some College/ Associate Degree	$80,800

Patrol commander education FAQs

What is the best college for Patrol Commanders?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for patrol commander jobs

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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