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Safety investigator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a safety investigator. Safety investigators usually study criminal justice, nursing, or business. 58% of safety investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 189 real safety investigator resumes to see exactly what safety investigator education sections show.
The most common colleges for safety investigators are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online safety investigator courses to help get the education required to be a safety investigator.
What education do you need to become a safety investigator?
What degree do you need to be a safety investigator?
- Bachelor's, 58%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a safety investigator?
- Criminal Justice, 21%
- Nursing, 8%
- Business, 7%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 57%
Most common colleges for safety investigators
| Safety investigator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 11.76% |
| University of Phoenix | 8.82% |
| Vincennes University | 8.82% |
| Wichita State University | 8.82% |
| University of Houston | 5.88% |
Best majors for safety investigators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 21.4% |
| 2 | Nursing | 8.2% |
| 3 | Business | 7.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Social Work | 6.1% |
Best colleges for safety investigators
The best colleges for safety investigators are George Washington University, The, SUNY at Binghamton, and Boston College.
A safety 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 safety 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 safety investigators.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. SUNY College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,369
Enrollment
5,229
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,230
Enrollment
12,161
10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
20 best online courses for safety investigators
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9. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management
A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...
10. NEBOSH health and safety Management System
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11. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
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13. NEBOSH FIRE SAFETY
Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...
14. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2
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15. Complete Health and Safety Auditor Course. OHSAS 18001.
How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...
16. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
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20. ISO 45001. Occupational health & safety management system
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Top 10 most affordable universities for safety investigators
The most affordable schools for safety investigators are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for safety 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 safety investigators.
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 - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for safety investigators
The hardest universities for safety investigators to get into are George Washington University, The, SUNY at Binghamton, and Boston College.
Some great schools for safety 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 safety 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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK • Private
Admissions rate
41%
SAT average
1,321
6. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for safety investigators
The easiest schools for safety investigators to get into are Gwynedd Mercy University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a safety 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 safety investigators.
1. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
5. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average safety investigator salary by education level
| Safety investigator education level | Safety investigator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $64,500 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $47,117 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,116 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $53,014 |
Safety investigator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025