Radiological defense officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a radiological defense officer. Radiological defense officers usually study business, criminal justice, or psychology. 61% of radiological defense officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 90 real radiological defense officer resumes to see exactly what radiological defense officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for radiological defense officers are the American University and the American University.

There are also many online radiological defense officer courses to help get the education required to be a radiological defense officer.

What education do you need to become a radiological defense officer?

What degree do you need to be a radiological defense officer?

The most common degree for radiological defense officers is bachelor's degree, with 61% of radiological defense officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 13%

Associate, 13%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a radiological defense officer?

You should major in business to become a radiological defense officer. 17% of radiological defense officers major in business. Other common majors for a radiological defense officer include criminal justice and psychology.

Business, 17%

Criminal Justice, 11%

Psychology, 9%

Political Science, 7%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for radiological defense officers

Radiological defense officers often get their degrees at American University, Northeastern University, and Temple University. Here are the most common colleges for radiological defense officers in the US based on their resumes.

Radiological defense officer common college	Percentages
American University	8.33%
Northeastern University	8.33%
Temple University	8.33%
Park University	8.33%
University of Massachusetts Amherst	4.17%

Show more common radiological defense officer colleges

Best majors for radiological defense officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	16.7%
2	Criminal Justice	11.1%
3	Psychology	9.3%
4	Political Science	7.4%
5	Engineering	5.6%

Show more common radiological defense officer majors

Best colleges for radiological defense officers

The best colleges for radiological defense officers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A radiological defense 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 radiological defense 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 radiological defense officers.

1. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for radiological defense officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for radiological defense officers

The most affordable schools for radiological defense officers are California State University - Long Beach, california state university - bakersfield, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for radiological defense 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 radiological defense officers.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

5. 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

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

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 radiological defense officers

The hardest universities for radiological defense officers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for radiological defense 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 radiological defense 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

7. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for radiological defense officers

The easiest schools for radiological defense officers to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, notre dame college, and bluefield college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a radiological defense 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 radiological defense officers.

1. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,035

7. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average radiological defense officer salary by education level

Radiological defense officers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $92,488 annually. With a Master's degree, radiological defense officers earn a median annual income of $82,089 compared to $66,651 for radiological defense officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Radiological defense officer education level	Radiological defense officer salary
Master's Degree	$82,089
High School Diploma or Less	$43,631
Bachelor's Degree	$66,651
Doctorate Degree	$92,488
Some College/ Associate Degree	$48,009

Radiological defense officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Radiological Defense Officers?

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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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