State patrol officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a state patrol officer. State patrol officers usually study criminal justice, business, or marketing. 51% of state patrol officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 128 real state patrol officer resumes to see exactly what state patrol officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for state patrol officers are the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

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

What education do you need to become a state patrol officer?

What degree do you need to be a state patrol officer?

The most common degree for state patrol officers is bachelor's degree, with 51% of state patrol officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 12%.

Bachelor's, 51%

Associate, 19%

Master's, 12%

High School Diploma, 10%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a state patrol officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a state patrol officer. 25% of state patrol officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a state patrol officer include business and marketing.

Criminal Justice, 25%

Business, 15%

Marketing, 6%

Law Enforcement, 6%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for state patrol officers

State patrol officers often get their degrees at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, The University of Alabama, and University of Delaware. Here are the most common colleges for state patrol officers in the US based on their resumes.

State patrol officer common college	Percentages
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	8.00%
The University of Alabama	8.00%
University of Delaware	8.00%
Kent State University	8.00%
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	8.00%

Show more common state patrol officer colleges

Best majors for state patrol officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	24.5%
2	Business	15.1%
3	Marketing	5.7%
4	Law Enforcement	5.7%
5	Public Administration	3.8%

Show more common state patrol officer majors

Best colleges for state patrol officers

The best colleges for state patrol officers are University of Tulsa, Boston College, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A state patrol 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 state patrol 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 state patrol officers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

4. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

6. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

9. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

20 best online courses for state patrol officers

Advertising disclosure

1. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

2. MS Office Complete Training - Beginner to Expert Level

(311)

Complete Practical training in MS Office 2010 to 2019 and Office 365 in MS Excel, MS Word, MS Power Point and MS Access...

3. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

4.2

(632)

Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...

4. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

4.5

(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

5. MS Office Course Bundle- Word , Powerpoint , Excel & Outlook

4.3

(319)

MS Office Learn and Polish the Most Desirable Office Courses at work , MS Word , MS Excel , MS Powerpoint and MS Outlook...

6. Microsoft Office 2016 Essential Training: 9 Course Bundle

4.5

(893)

Comprehensive, all-in-one training to get the most out of Microsoft Office 2016. 9-in-1 courses with 70 hours of video...

7. Microsoft Office Essential Skills

4.6

(2,029)

Learn the essential Microsoft Office skills employers want from a Microsoft Certified Trainer!...

8. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2013 Training Bundle 71 Hours

4.6

(818)

The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2013 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...

9. Ultimate Microsoft Office; Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Access

4.5

(11,600)

Learn basic to advanced Microsoft Office skills in this 9-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019...

10. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2021/365 Training Bundle

4.5

(640)

Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 6-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2021 users...

11. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2016 Training Bundle

4.5

(4,167)

The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2016 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...

12. MS Office - Advanced - Efficiency Training

4.4

(2,504)

Learn the most important shortcuts and time saving tools in Outlook, Excel, Word and Power Point. WIN at Office!...

13. Microsoft Office Complete Course All in one MS Office

4.3

(702)

Basic to Advanced Level Microsoft office Training Course A Complete Guide to MS Word, Power Point & Excel...

14. Mastering Microsoft 365 (2022) (was Mastering Office 365)

4.6

(4,895)

How To Take Full Advantage of Office 365: Your Modern, Collaborative Business Tools...

15. Excel 2016 (365) Intermediate Training Course Office 365

4.3

(581)

Go beyond the Excel 2016 basics. Excel 2016 is included with Microsoft Office 365...

16. MS Office; Excel, Word, Access & PowerPoint 2019 - Beginners

4.5

(1,407)

Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 4-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019 users...

17. Microsoft 70-346: Managing Office 365 Identities and Requ.

(385)

Microsoft 70-346: Managing Office 365 Identities and Requirements...

18. Microsoft Office; Excel, Word & PowerPoint 2019 - Beginners

4.6

(958)

Learn the essentials of Microsoft Office in this 3-course bundle for Office 365 or Office 2019 users...

19. Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO)

4.5

(656)

Certified Information Systems Security Officer (CISSO) Certification Exam Prep Course...

20. The Ultimate Microsoft Office 2010 Training Bundle 48 Hours

4.7

(846)

The Most Convenient Way to Boost Your Confidence And Learn MS Office 2010 Inside And Out—Quickly, No Travel or Classes...

Top 10 most affordable universities for state patrol officers

The most affordable schools for state patrol officers are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for state patrol 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 state patrol officers.

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. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for state patrol officers

The hardest universities for state patrol officers to get into are University of Tulsa, Boston College, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for state patrol 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 state patrol 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. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

6. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,324

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for state patrol officers

The easiest schools for state patrol officers to get into are Nyack College, gwynedd mercy university, and wayland baptist university.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average state patrol officer salary by education level

According to our data, state patrol officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,343 annually. State patrol officers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $50,796.

State patrol officer education level	State patrol officer salary
Master's Degree	$52,343
High School Diploma or Less	$38,565
Bachelor's Degree	$47,939
Doctorate Degree	$50,796
Some College/ Associate Degree	$44,160

State patrol officer education FAQs

What is the best college for State Patrol Officers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common protective service questions.

Search for state patrol officer jobs

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

Browse protective service jobs