Post job

Platoon sergeant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a platoon sergeant. Platoon sergeants usually study business, general studies, or criminal justice. 42% of platoon sergeants hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,990 real platoon sergeant resumes to see exactly what platoon sergeant education sections show.

The most common colleges for platoon sergeants are the Texas A&M; University - Central Texas and the Texas A&M; University - Central Texas.

There are also many online platoon sergeant courses to help get the education required to be a platoon sergeant.

There are certain platoon sergeant certifications that you should consider. These platoon sergeant certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Military Fitness Specialist Certification.

What education do you need to become a platoon sergeant?

What degree do you need to be a platoon sergeant?

The most common degree for platoon sergeants is bachelor's degree, with 42% of platoon sergeants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 31% and associate degree degree at 16%.
  • Bachelor's, 42%
  • Associate, 31%
  • High School Diploma, 16%
  • Master's, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a platoon sergeant?

You should major in business to become a platoon sergeant. 25% of platoon sergeants major in business. Other common majors for a platoon sergeant include general studies and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for platoon sergeants

Platoon sergeants often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University - Central Texas, American University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for platoon sergeants in the US based on their resumes.
Platoon sergeant common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University - Central Texas20.12%
American University14.32%
University of Phoenix11.42%
Troy University8.52%
Columbia Southern University7.21%

Best majors for platoon sergeants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business24.9%
2General Studies19.0%
3Criminal Justice14.9%
4Management6.0%
5Liberal Arts3.7%

Best colleges for platoon sergeants

The best colleges for platoon sergeants are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

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

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

6. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

7. Mercyhurst University

Erie, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$37,170

Enrollment

2,374

8. University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$12,467

Enrollment

33,509

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Enrollment

41,777

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for platoon sergeants

Advertising disclosure

1. Personnel & Third-Party Security

coursera

In this course, you will learn all about the process of implementing effective education, training, and awareness programs. You will also study the role personnel security plays in protecting an organization’s assets, intellectual property, and physical assets. You will also be introduced to the steps required for effective Vendor Risk Management (VRM), including: due diligence, contracting, monitoring & accessing, and termination. Throughout the course, you will engage with current case...

2. Security Awareness Training

coursera

The security of an organization is of the utmost importance and every member of the organization's staff plays a vital role in defending against cyber threats. One of the best ways to protect the organization is to institute a company-wide security-awareness training initiative. This course is a complete foundational security awareness training program that covers a wide array of topics for nearly every type of end-user and learner level. The content is designed to allow organizations to be...

3. Advanced Close Combat Training: Scientific Self Defense

udemy
4.7
(484)

How To Download the world's deadliest self defense moves directly into your brain...

4. OSHA Safety Training: Conducting Safety Meetings

udemy
4.5
(958)

A Brief Safety Management Course for Current and Aspiring Safety Professionals...

5. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System

udemy
4.4
(976)

Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...

6. Security Guard Training Course

udemy
4.4
(383)

Security Officer Training In Today's Job Market...

7. Learn Military Close Combat Training Captain Chris Pizzo

udemy
4.5
(2,610)

Military Hand-To-Hand Self Defense System Lets You Humiliate Younger, Tougher, BIGGER and More Experienced Attackers...

8. Operational Risks Management ORM

udemy
4.3
(1,174)

Operational Risks Management ORM Case Studies for Risk Management, Compliance, Audit, IS Security, Banking Professionals...

9. Personal Development Life Coach Certification1 Training

udemy
4.8
(869)

Personal Development Life Coach Training Course Graduates Prepared Professionals in Personal Development Life Coaching...

10. NEBOSH health and safety Management System

udemy
4.3
(448)

It Shows the Start point to Build your Health & safety Career and how to Join the field and becoming HSE Specialist...

11. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems

udemy
4.1
(263)

The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...

12. Occupational Health & Safety Training

udemy
4.4
(1,198)

Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...

13. Professional Life Coach Certification PCELC Coach Training

udemy
4.3
(2,678)

Life Coach Training Practitioner Course Graduating Prepared and Ready-To-Work PCELC Professionals in Life Coaching...

14. EssentialSQL: Stored Procedures Unpacked - Code in TSQL

udemy
4.6
(975)

Stored Procedures Database Programming, Write TSQL Server Stored Procs for Data Engineering, Data Analysis, and DBA's...

15. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment

udemy
4.5
(1,881)

Impress management or get that job with you your ability to display life and dollar saving work place safety practices...

16. Executive Communication Training

udemy
4.5
(272)

Being a great leader without being a great communicator is nearly impossible...

17. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management

udemy
4.6
(465)

A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...

18. Supply Chain Management A-Z: Operations & Logistics Basics

udemy
4.5
(2,394)

Supply Chain Management Basics: An MBA style course to boost your career as a business operations & logistics manager...

19. Security Awareness Training, Internet Security for Employees

udemy
4.6
(29,418)

Basic security awareness guide on Internet security and privacy to help keep you, your home, and your employer safe...

20. Advanced C++ Programming Training Course

udemy
4.4
(848)

Take your C++ Programming Training Course Will Take Your Skills To The Next Level...

Top 10 most affordable universities for platoon sergeants

The most affordable schools for platoon sergeants are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for platoon sergeants 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 platoon sergeants.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. 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

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 platoon sergeants

The hardest universities for platoon sergeants to get into are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

Some great schools for platoon sergeants 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 platoon sergeants 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

8. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,345

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for platoon sergeants

The easiest schools for platoon sergeants to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a platoon sergeant 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 platoon sergeants.

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

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. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average platoon sergeant salary by education level

Platoon sergeants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $116,979 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, platoon sergeants earn a median annual income of $109,890 compared to $92,882 for platoon sergeants with an Associate degree.
Platoon sergeant education levelPlatoon sergeant salary
Master's Degree$116,979
High School Diploma or Less$88,333
Bachelor's Degree$109,890
Some College/ Associate Degree$92,882

Platoon sergeant education FAQs

Search for platoon sergeant jobs

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.

Browse protective service jobs