Traffic investigator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a traffic investigator. Traffic investigators usually study criminal justice, business, or general studies. 49% of traffic investigators hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 123 real traffic investigator resumes to see exactly what traffic investigator education sections show.

The most common colleges for traffic investigators are the Northwestern University and the Northwestern University.

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

What education do you need to become a traffic investigator?

What degree do you need to be a traffic investigator?

The most common degree for traffic investigators is bachelor's degree, with 49% of traffic investigators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 49%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a traffic investigator?

You should major in criminal justice to become a traffic investigator. 47% of traffic investigators major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a traffic investigator include business and general studies.

Criminal Justice, 47%

Business, 11%

General Studies, 6%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 31%

Most common colleges for traffic investigators

Traffic investigators often get their degrees at Northwestern University, University of South Carolina - Columbia, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for traffic investigators in the US based on their resumes.

Traffic investigator common college	Percentages
Northwestern University	12.00%
University of South Carolina - Columbia	8.00%
University of Phoenix	8.00%
University of Memphis	8.00%
Ohio State University	4.00%

Show more common traffic investigator colleges

Best majors for traffic investigators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	47.0%
2	Business	10.6%
3	General Studies	6.1%
4	Management	4.5%
5	Mechanical Engineering	3.0%

Show more common traffic investigator majors

Best colleges for traffic investigators

The best colleges for traffic investigators are Boston University, Northeastern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.

A traffic 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 traffic 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 traffic investigators.

1. Savannah State University

Savannah, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,743

Enrollment

3,742

2. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$19,080

Enrollment

19,127

3. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$6,853

Enrollment

23,939

4. Georgia Southern University

Statesboro, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,356

Enrollment

22,239

5. Belhaven University

Jackson, MS • Private

In-state tuition

$25,300

Enrollment

2,220

6. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

8. Texas Southern University

Houston, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,173

Enrollment

7,604

9. Point Park University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$31,450

Enrollment

3,170

10. Murray State University

Murray, KY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,084

Enrollment

6,830

20 best online courses for traffic investigators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for traffic investigators

The most affordable schools for traffic investigators are California State University - Bakersfield, brigham young university, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for traffic 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 traffic investigators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,270

Cost of attendance

14,177

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for traffic investigators

The hardest universities for traffic investigators to get into are Boston University, Northeastern University, and SUNY at Binghamton.

Some great schools for traffic 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 traffic 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

3. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

4. American University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,320

5. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

6. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,398

8. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for traffic investigators

The easiest schools for traffic investigators to get into are Wayland Baptist University, university of north texas at dallas, and ottawa university.

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

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

3. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

10. American International College

Springfield, MA • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,010

Average traffic investigator salary by education level

Traffic investigators with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $51,366 annually. With a Associate degree, traffic investigators earn a median annual income of $45,675 compared to $44,154 for traffic investigators with an High School Diploma degree.

Traffic investigator education level	Traffic investigator salary
High School Diploma or Less	$44,154
Bachelor's Degree	$51,366
Some College/ Associate Degree	$45,675

Traffic investigator education FAQs

What is the best college for Traffic Investigators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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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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