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Transit police officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a transit police officer. Transit police officers usually study criminal justice, business, or psychology. 50% of transit police officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 180 real transit police officer resumes to see exactly what transit police officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for transit police officers are the Ferris State University and the Ferris State University.

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

What education do you need to become a transit police officer?

What degree do you need to be a transit police officer?

The most common degree for transit police officers is bachelor's degree, with 50% of transit police officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Associate, 25%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a transit police officer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a transit police officer. 38% of transit police officers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a transit police officer include business and psychology.

Most common colleges for transit police officers

Transit police officers often get their degrees at Ferris State University, University of Maryland - College Park, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for transit police officers in the US based on their resumes.
Transit police officer common collegePercentages
Ferris State University11.11%
University of Maryland - College Park11.11%
Michigan State University7.41%
Miami Dade College7.41%
Temple University7.41%

Best majors for transit police officers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice37.5%
2Business17.0%
3Psychology5.7%
4Law Enforcement5.7%
5Liberal Arts5.7%

Best colleges for transit police officers

The best colleges for transit police officers are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A transit police 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 transit police 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 transit police officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

5. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

6. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Lincoln, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$9,242

Enrollment

20,592

7. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$31,998

Enrollment

1,488

20 best online courses for transit police officers

Advertising disclosure

1. Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

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The American criminal justice system is in need of reform. We incarcerate too many people. We pay insufficient attention to scientific advances that can help separate out the most and least culpable and dangerous. We grant the police far too much power to use force and technological surveillance. As a way of thinking about dealing with these problems, this course examines two over-arching issues: What should we do with people who have committed crime, and how should we identify who they are? On...

2. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

3. Effective Legal Office Administration

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4. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

5. Privacy Law and HIPAA

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

6. Privacy Law and Data Protection

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What does it take to comply with privacy laws? In this course, we’ll look at the practical aspects of navigating the complex landscape of privacy requirements. Better understanding privacy laws and data protection will enable you to protect your organization and the constituents that depend on your organization to safeguard their personal information. First, we will examine the historical context that drove the creation of laws, best practices, and other standards for protecting personal...

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Learn Criminal Law and Start your career with certification of Criminal Law and Criminal Psychology, Learn Criminology...

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

9. What is Corruption: Anti-Corruption and Compliance

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Have you ever paid someone for doing you a favor? You may be accustomed to tipping wait staff or other service providers, but what if you paid a police officer for NOT issuing a parking ticket? Or if you gave a “gift” to a government official for signing a contract with your company? Tipping might be okay, but paying a bribe is a violation of the law. Bribery is widespread and exists almost everywhere and in many forms. Compliance programs address this and other forms of corruption. In this...

10. European Business Law: Understanding the Fundamentals

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The European Union is one of the world’s largest and most important economies. This six week course is the first in a series of three that will provide students with an insight into European Business Law. The series ranges from considering the basic structures and principles of the European Union to focusing on various specialized areas of law. Each course will give the students an understanding of the laws and policies that regulate the internal market of European Union, as well as relevant...

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Learn the fundamentals of the Controller Area Network (CAN) Bus using both a theoretical and practical approach...

12. High Voltage Electric Vehicle Safety

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Electric Vehicle Safety Battery Pack Fire Safety Electric Shock Safety Accidental Safety High Voltage Components...

13. Cloud Computing Law: Data Protection and Cybersecurity

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Vast amounts of personal information are processed in the cloud. But who is legally responsible for such ‘personal data’ in cloud environments? What duties do cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have? And what rights can you, as an individual, exercise under data protection law? If you’d like to find out, then this course is for you! First, we’ll look at how the European Union’s ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ (‘GDPR’) regulates the processing of personal data in cloud...

14. An Introduction to American Law

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17. Cloud Computing Law

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This Specialization is intended for anyone interested in understanding the legal rights and obligations of providers and customers of cloud services. Our three Courses cover the key legal and regulatory issues for cloud services, including cloud contracts, data protection law, law enforcement access, and much more! You will learn to describe cloud providers’ and customers’ legal rights, to identify and assess legal risks, and to suggest possible legal and technological solutions...

18. India Customs and Allied laws Specialization

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19. Employment Law Compliance Made Easy

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20. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes

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Top 10 most affordable universities for transit police officers

The most affordable schools for transit police officers are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and florida international university.

If the best universities for transit police 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 transit police officers.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

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 transit police officers

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

Some great schools for transit police 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 transit police 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,390

7. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

8. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,347

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for transit police officers

The easiest schools for transit police officers to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

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. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

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 transit police officer salary by education level

According to our data, transit police officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $50,458 annually. Transit police officers with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $49,262.
Transit police officer education levelTransit police officer salary
Master's Degree$50,458
High School Diploma or Less$38,931
Bachelor's Degree$46,820
Doctorate Degree$49,262
Some College/ Associate Degree$43,670

Transit police officer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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