Sheriff's detective education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sheriff's detective. Sheriff's detectives usually study criminal justice, law enforcement, or psychology. 59% of sheriff's detectives hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 32 real sheriff's detective resumes to see exactly what sheriff's detective education sections show.

The most common colleges for sheriff's detectives are the Jacksonville University and the Jacksonville University.

There are also many online sheriff's detective courses to help get the education required to be a sheriff's detective.

What education do you need to become a sheriff's detective?

What degree do you need to be a sheriff's detective?

The most common degree for sheriff's detectives is bachelor's degree, with 59% of sheriff's detectives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 18% and high school diploma degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 59%

High School Diploma, 18%

Associate, 18%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a sheriff's detective?

You should major in criminal justice to become a sheriff's detective. 25% of sheriff's detectives major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a sheriff's detective include law enforcement and psychology.

Criminal Justice, 25%

Law Enforcement, 17%

Psychology, 8%

Biology, 4%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for sheriff's detectives

Sheriff's detectives often get their degrees at Jacksonville University, Liberty University, and Santa Fe College. Here are the most common colleges for sheriff's detectives in the US based on their resumes.

Sheriff's detective common college	Percentages
Jacksonville University	16.67%
Liberty University	16.67%
Santa Fe College	8.33%
California Coast University	8.33%
Southeastern Louisiana University	8.33%

Show more common sheriff's detective colleges

Best majors for sheriff's detectives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	25.0%
2	Law Enforcement	16.7%
3	Psychology	8.3%
4	Biology	4.2%
5	Business	4.2%

Show more common sheriff's detective majors

Best colleges for sheriff's detectives

The best colleges for sheriff's detectives are Northeastern University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A sheriff's detective with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sheriff's detectives. 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 sheriff's detectives.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

5. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for sheriff's detectives

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sheriff's detectives

The most affordable schools for sheriff's detectives are California State University - Long Beach, university of south florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for sheriff's detectives 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 sheriff's detectives.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

10. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sheriff's detectives

The hardest universities for sheriff's detectives to get into are Northeastern University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for sheriff's detectives 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 sheriff's detectives 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sheriff's detectives

The easiest schools for sheriff's detectives to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sheriff's detective 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 sheriff's detectives.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average sheriff's detective salary by education level

Sheriff's detectives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $63,327 annually. With a Doctorate degree, sheriff's detectives earn a median annual income of $62,054 compared to $59,440 for sheriff's detectives with an Bachelor's degree.

Sheriff's detective education level	Sheriff's detective salary
Master's Degree	$63,327
High School Diploma or Less	$50,847
Bachelor's Degree	$59,440
Doctorate Degree	$62,054
Some College/ Associate Degree	$56,038

Sheriff's detective education FAQs

What is the best college for Sheriff's Detectives?

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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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