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Public safety teacher education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a public safety teacher. Public safety teachers usually study criminal justice, fire science and protection, or business. 44% of public safety teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 38 real public safety teacher resumes to see exactly what public safety teacher education sections show.

The most common colleges for public safety teachers are the American University and the American University.

There are also many online public safety teacher courses to help get the education required to be a public safety teacher.

What education do you need to become a public safety teacher?

What degree do you need to be a public safety teacher?

The most common degree for public safety teachers is bachelor's degree, with 44% of public safety teachers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 44%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Associate, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 12%

What should I major in to become a public safety teacher?

You should major in criminal justice to become a public safety teacher. 34% of public safety teachers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a public safety teacher include fire science and protection and business.

Most common colleges for public safety teachers

Public safety teachers often get their degrees at American University, Nyack College, and University of Georgia. Here are the most common colleges for public safety teachers in the US based on their resumes.
Public safety teacher common collegePercentages
American University14.29%
Nyack College9.52%
University of Georgia9.52%
Bridgewater College4.76%
SUNY Upstate Medical University4.76%

Best majors for public safety teachers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice34.4%
2Fire Science And Protection15.6%
3Business6.3%
4Sociology3.1%
5Finance3.1%

Best colleges for public safety teachers

The best colleges for public safety teachers are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A public safety teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for public safety teachers. 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 public safety teachers.

1. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

8. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,226

Enrollment

31,568

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

20 best online courses for public safety teachers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for public safety teachers

The most affordable schools for public safety teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for public safety teachers 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 public safety teachers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

5. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

6. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public safety teachers

The hardest universities for public safety teachers to get into are Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for public safety teachers 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 public safety teachers 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

5. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

8. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public safety teachers

The easiest schools for public safety teachers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, san francisco state university, and california university of pennsylvania.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public safety teacher 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 public safety teachers.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

3. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

4. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

7. College of New Rochelle, The

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

982

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana, PA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,019

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average public safety teacher salary by education level

Public safety teachers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $51,012 annually. With a Master's degree, public safety teachers earn a median annual income of $50,482 compared to $42,737 for public safety teachers with an Bachelor's degree.
Public safety teacher education levelPublic safety teacher salary
Master's Degree$50,482
Bachelor's Degree$42,737
Doctorate Degree$51,012

Public safety teacher education FAQs

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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.

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