Patrol officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a patrol officer. Patrol officers usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 43% of patrol officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 12,907 real patrol officer resumes to see exactly what patrol officer education sections show.

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

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

There are certain patrol officer certifications that you should consider. These patrol officer certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Security Supervision & Management (CSS).

What education do you need to become a patrol officer?

What degree do you need to be a patrol officer?

The most common degree for patrol officers is bachelor's degree, with 43% of patrol officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 43%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 17%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a patrol officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a patrol officer. 50% of patrol officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a patrol officer include law enforcement and business.

Criminal Justice, 50%

Law Enforcement, 10%

Business, 9%

General Studies, 4%

Other Majors, 27%

Most common colleges for patrol officers

Patrol officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, American University, and Columbia Southern University. Here are the most common colleges for patrol officers in the US based on their resumes.

Patrol officer common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.55%
American University	6.17%
Columbia Southern University	5.76%
Western Washington University	5.76%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.14%

Show more common patrol officer colleges

Best majors for patrol officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	49.6%
2	Law Enforcement	9.6%
3	Business	8.8%
4	General Studies	4.0%
5	Psychology	3.6%

Show more common patrol officer majors

Best colleges for patrol officers

The best colleges for patrol officers are Northeastern University, University of Tulsa, and Syracuse University.

A patrol officer 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 officers. 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 officers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Savannah State University

Savannah, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,743

Enrollment

3,742

4. Hampton University

Hampton, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$26,702

Enrollment

3,661

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Enrollment

23,265

7. Lewis University

Romeoville, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$32,450

Enrollment

4,217

8. Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$12,951

Enrollment

6,754

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

10. Marian University

Fond Du Lac, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,400

Enrollment

1,417

20 best online courses for patrol officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for patrol officers

The most affordable schools for patrol officers are California State University - Long Beach, suny farmingdale, and florida atlantic university.

If the best universities for patrol officers 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 officers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

7. 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

8. Northwestern Oklahoma State University

Alva, OK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,471

Cost of attendance

15,616

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for patrol officers

The hardest universities for patrol officers to get into are Northeastern University, University of Tulsa, and Syracuse University.

Some great schools for patrol officers 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 officers 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. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

6. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

7. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

9. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

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

The easiest schools for patrol officers to get into are Nyack College, university of north texas at dallas, and la roche college.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

6. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average patrol officer salary by education level

Patrol officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $40,455 annually. With a Doctorate degree, patrol officers earn a median annual income of $39,742 compared to $38,402 for patrol officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Patrol officer education level	Patrol officer salary
Master's Degree	$40,455
High School Diploma or Less	$33,756
Bachelor's Degree	$38,402
Doctorate Degree	$39,742
Some College/ Associate Degree	$36,578

Patrol officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Patrol Officers?

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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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