Physical security specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a physical security specialist. Physical security specialists usually study criminal justice, business, or general studies. 48% of physical security specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,108 real physical security specialist resumes to see exactly what physical security specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for physical security specialists are the American University and the American University.

There are also many online physical security specialist courses to help get the education required to be a physical security specialist.

There are certain physical security specialist certifications that you should consider. These physical security specialist certifications include Physical Security Certification (PSC) and Security 5 Certification.

What education do you need to become a physical security specialist?

What degree do you need to be a physical security specialist?

The most common degree for physical security specialists is bachelor's degree, with 48% of physical security specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 48%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 11%

Master's, 9%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a physical security specialist?

You should major in criminal justice to become a physical security specialist. 37% of physical security specialists major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a physical security specialist include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 37%

Business, 17%

General Studies, 7%

Law Enforcement, 3%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for physical security specialists

Physical security specialists often get their degrees at American University, University of Phoenix, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for physical security specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Physical security specialist common college	Percentages
American University	19.33%
University of Phoenix	14.29%
Strayer University	8.40%
Park University	6.72%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.04%

Show more common physical security specialist colleges

Best majors for physical security specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	37.2%
2	Business	16.9%
3	General Studies	6.8%
4	Law Enforcement	3.4%
5	Management	2.9%

Show more common physical security specialist majors

Best colleges for physical security specialists

The best colleges for physical security specialists are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A physical security specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for physical security specialists. 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 physical security specialists.

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 physical security specialists

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5. ISO/IEC 27002:2022. Information security controls

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6. Security Management: Excellence in Private Protection

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8. Information Systems Security for Professionals: CISSP

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15. ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Information Security Management System

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16. IT Security 101 - Cyber Security for Beginners

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17. Certified Information Systems Security Professional CISSP

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18. Certified Healthcare InfoSys Security Practitioner (CHISSP)

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Certified Healthcare Information Systems Security Practitioner (CHISSP)...

19. Information Security Awareness: An Introduction for UK SMEs

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Combating Security Threats and Cultivating Information Security Awareness...

20. Cyber Security: Info Security, Combat Cyber Threats, ChatGPT

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Cyber Threats, Attacks, Viruses, Chat GPT & Cyber, Cyber Crimes, Firewalls, Cyber Security Concepts, Digital Forensics...

Top 10 most affordable universities for physical security specialists

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

If the best universities for physical security specialists 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 physical security specialists.

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 physical security specialists

The hardest universities for physical security specialists to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for physical security specialists 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 physical security specialists 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 physical security specialists

The easiest schools for physical security specialists 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 a physical security specialist 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 physical security specialists.

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 physical security specialist salary by education level

According to our data, physical security specialists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,769 annually. Physical security specialists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $92,297.

Physical security specialist education level	Physical security specialist salary
Master's Degree	$92,297
Bachelor's Degree	$80,468
Doctorate Degree	$94,769
Some College/ Associate Degree	$65,883

Physical security specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Physical Security Specialists?

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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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