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Police commissioner education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a police commissioner. Police commissioners usually study criminal justice, business, or communication. 69% of police commissioners hold a bachelor's degree, and 8% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 73 real police commissioner resumes to see exactly what police commissioner education sections show.
The most common colleges for police commissioners are the Baruch College of the City University of New York and the Baruch College of the City University of New York.
There are also many online police commissioner courses to help get the education required to be a police commissioner.
What education do you need to become a police commissioner?
What degree do you need to be a police commissioner?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a police commissioner?
- Criminal Justice, 29%
- Business, 22%
- Communication, 6%
- English, 6%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for police commissioners
| Police commissioner common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Baruch College of the City University of New York | 9.09% |
| Fordham University | 9.09% |
| Capital University | 4.55% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 4.55% |
| University of Northern Colorado | 4.55% |
Best majors for police commissioners
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 29.4% |
| 2 | Business | 21.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 5.9% |
| 4 | English | 5.9% |
| 5 | Agricultural Public Services | 3.9% |
Best colleges for police commissioners
The best colleges for police commissioners are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
A police commissioner with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for police commissioners. 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 police commissioners.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
9. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
10. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
20 best online courses for police commissioners
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Top 10 most affordable universities for police commissioners
The most affordable schools for police commissioners are Baruch College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for police commissioners 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 police commissioners.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for police commissioners
The hardest universities for police commissioners to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for police commissioners 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 police commissioners 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,367
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for police commissioners
The easiest schools for police commissioners to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, mount saint mary's university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a police commissioner 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 police commissioners.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,080
Average police commissioner salary by education level
| Police commissioner education level | Police commissioner salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,410 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $66,785 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,391 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,140 |
Police commissioner education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025