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Police patrol officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a police patrol officer. Police patrol officers usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or business. 50% of police patrol officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,091 real police patrol officer resumes to see exactly what police patrol officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for police patrol officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online police patrol officer courses to help get the education required to be a police patrol officer.
What education do you need to become a police patrol officer?
What degree do you need to be a police patrol officer?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 26%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become a police patrol officer?
- Criminal Justice, 48%
- Law Enforcement, 10%
- Business, 10%
- Management, 4%
- Other Majors, 28%
Most common colleges for police patrol officers
| Police patrol officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.24% |
| American University | 7.14% |
| Liberty University | 5.95% |
| Colorado Technical University | 5.95% |
| Sam Houston State University | 4.76% |
Best majors for police patrol officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 48.0% |
| 2 | Law Enforcement | 10.2% |
| 3 | Business | 9.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.4% |
| 5 | Political Science | 3.5% |
Best colleges for police patrol officers
The best colleges for police patrol officers are Northeastern University, Boston University, and Stanford University.
A police 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 police 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 police patrol officers.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,853
Enrollment
14,759
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
7. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
9. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for police patrol officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for police patrol officers
The most affordable schools for police patrol officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for police 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 police patrol officers.
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
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. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
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. 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 police patrol officers
The hardest universities for police patrol officers to get into are Northeastern University, Boston University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for police 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 police 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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
8. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for police patrol officers
The easiest schools for police patrol officers 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 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 police patrol officers.
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. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
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 police patrol officer salary by education level
| Police patrol officer education level | Police patrol officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,538 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,472 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $47,068 |
| Doctorate Degree | $48,680 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,872 |
Police patrol officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025