Police detective education requirements

Q: What degree do you need to be a police detective?

Becoming a police detective normally requires a bachelor's degree. Police detectives usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. There is no specific degree required to become a police detective, but most likely a degree in criminal justice or law enforcement would be beneficial. Detectives typically have several years of experience in law enforcement before being promoted to the detective division.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a police detective. Police detectives usually study criminal justice, business, or law enforcement. 51% of police detectives hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 808 real police detective resumes to see exactly what police detective education sections show.

The most common colleges for police detectives are the Miami Dade College and the Miami Dade College.

There are also many online police detective courses to help get the education required to be a police detective.

What education do you need to become a police detective?

What degree do you need to be a police detective?

The most common degree for police detectives is bachelor's degree, with 51% of police detectives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 51%

Associate, 25%

Master's, 9%

High School Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a police detective?

You should major in criminal justice to become a police detective. 51% of police detectives major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a police detective include business and law enforcement.

Criminal Justice, 51%

Business, 9%

Law Enforcement, 8%

Law, 4%

Other Majors, 28%

Most common colleges for police detectives

Police detectives often get their degrees at Miami Dade College, University of Phoenix, and John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. Here are the most common colleges for police detectives in the US based on their resumes.

Police detective common college	Percentages
Miami Dade College	10.00%
University of Phoenix	10.00%
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York	7.50%
El Paso	5.00%
Temple University	5.00%

Show more common police detective colleges

Best majors for police detectives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	50.9%
2	Business	8.9%
3	Law Enforcement	8.0%
4	Law	3.9%
5	General Studies	3.4%

Show more common police detective majors

Best colleges for police detectives

The best colleges for police detectives are Northeastern University, Boston University, and George Washington University, The.

A police detective 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 detectives. 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 detectives.

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 police detectives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for police detectives

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

If the best universities for police detectives 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 detectives.

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 police detectives

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

Some great schools for police detectives 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 detectives 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

SAT average

1,497

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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 police detectives

The easiest schools for police detectives 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 police detective 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 detectives.

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 police detective salary by education level

Police detectives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $62,560 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, police detectives earn a median annual income of $59,062 compared to $50,593 for police detectives with an Associate degree.

Police detective education level	Police detective salary
Master's Degree	$62,560
High School Diploma or Less	$48,309
Bachelor's Degree	$59,062
Some College/ Associate Degree	$50,593

Police detective education FAQs

What degree do you need to be a police detective?

What is the best college for Police Detectives?

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

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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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