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Private investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a private investigator. Private investigators usually study criminal justice, business, or psychology. 54% of private investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,812 real private investigator resumes to see exactly what private investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for private investigators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online private investigator courses to help get the education required to be a private investigator.
There are certain private investigator certifications that you should consider. These private investigator certifications include Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) and Certified Crime Scene Investigator.
What education do you need to become a private investigator?
What degree do you need to be a private investigator?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a private investigator?
- Criminal Justice, 51%
- Business, 10%
- Psychology, 4%
- Law Enforcement, 3%
- Other Majors, 32%
Most common colleges for private investigators
| Private investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 18.05% |
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 6.88% |
| Florida State University | 6.30% |
| Northeastern University | 5.16% |
| Western Washington University | 4.58% |
Best majors for private investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 50.8% |
| 2 | Business | 10.4% |
| 3 | Psychology | 4.5% |
| 4 | Law Enforcement | 3.4% |
| 5 | Criminology | 3.0% |
Best colleges for private investigators
The best colleges for private investigators are University of Tulsa, Syracuse University, and SUNY at Binghamton.
A private investigator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for private investigators. 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 private investigators.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
4. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Enrollment
1,834
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
20 best online courses for private investigators
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16. Check Point CCSA
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17. Forensic Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE
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18. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course
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19. Cyber Crime Analyst Part 2
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20. Certificate Course in Clinical Research (CCCR)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for private investigators
The most affordable schools for private investigators are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for private investigators 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 private investigators.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
5. 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
6. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Southern University at New Orleans
New Orleans, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,033
Cost of attendance
12,702
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
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 private investigators
The hardest universities for private investigators to get into are University of Tulsa, Syracuse University, and SUNY at Binghamton.
Some great schools for private investigators 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 private investigators 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 Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
2. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
4. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
5. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
6. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
7. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for private investigators
The easiest schools for private investigators to get into are Nyack College, university of north texas at dallas, and la roche college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a private investigator 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 private investigators.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
2. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
3. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
931
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average private investigator salary by education level
| Private investigator education level | Private investigator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,858 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,251 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $52,965 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $45,185 |
Private investigator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025