Traffic control officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a traffic control officer. Traffic control officers usually study criminal justice, business, or general studies. 40% of traffic control officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 447 real traffic control officer resumes to see exactly what traffic control officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for traffic control officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

What education do you need to become a traffic control officer?

What degree do you need to be a traffic control officer?

The most common degree for traffic control officers is bachelor's degree, with 40% of traffic control officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 22% and high school diploma degree at 20%.

Bachelor's, 40%

High School Diploma, 22%

Associate, 20%

Master's, 7%

Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a traffic control officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a traffic control officer. 29% of traffic control officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a traffic control officer include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 29%

Business, 16%

General Studies, 5%

Health Care Administration, 5%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for traffic control officers

Traffic control officers often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, High Point University, and Bowie State University. Here are the most common colleges for traffic control officers in the US based on their resumes.

Traffic control officer common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	9.76%
High Point University	7.32%
Bowie State University	7.32%
Guilford College	7.32%
Marshall University	4.88%

Show more common traffic control officer colleges

Best majors for traffic control officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	28.6%
2	Business	16.2%
3	General Studies	4.5%
4	Health Care Administration	4.5%
5	Management	3.9%

Show more common traffic control officer majors

Best colleges for traffic control officers

The best colleges for traffic control officers are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A traffic control 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 traffic control 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 traffic control officers.

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

10. SUNY College at Oswego

Oswego, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,440

Enrollment

7,039

20 best online courses for traffic control officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for traffic control officers

The most affordable schools for traffic control officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for traffic control 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 traffic control officers.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for traffic control officers

The hardest universities for traffic control officers to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for traffic control 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 traffic control 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

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 Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

7. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for traffic control officers

The easiest schools for traffic control officers to get into are Nyack College, notre dame college, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

Average traffic control officer salary by education level

Traffic control officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $44,651 annually. With a Doctorate degree, traffic control officers earn a median annual income of $43,375 compared to $41,016 for traffic control officers with an Bachelor's degree.

Traffic control officer education level	Traffic control officer salary
Master's Degree	$44,651
High School Diploma or Less	$33,240
Bachelor's Degree	$41,016
Doctorate Degree	$43,375
Some College/ Associate Degree	$37,888

Traffic control officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Traffic Control 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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