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Probation Officer Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a probation officer. Probation officers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or sociology. 73% of probation officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 7,390 real probation officer resumes to see exactly what probation officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for probation officers are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online probation officer courses to help get the education required to be a probation officer.
There are certain probation officer certifications that you should consider. These probation officer certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certificate in Public Financial Management (Cert PFM).
What education do you need to become a probation officer?
What degree do you need to be a probation officer?
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Master's, 13%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a probation officer?
- Criminal Justice, 48%
- Psychology, 11%
- Sociology, 8%
- Social Work, 6%
- Other Majors, 27%
Most common colleges for probation officers
Probation Officer Common College  | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.75% |
| Florida State University | 6.15% |
| University of Cincinnati | 6.01% |
| Troy University | 5.87% |
| Albany State University | 5.87% |
Best majors for probation officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 47.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 10.6% |
| 3 | Sociology | 7.8% |
| 4 | Social Work | 6.1% |
| 5 | Business | 5.1% |
Best colleges for probation officers
The best colleges for probation officers are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.
A probation 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 probation 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 probation officers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-State Tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
20 best online courses for probation officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for probation officers
The most affordable schools for probation officers are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for probation 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 probation officers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for probation officers
The hardest universities for probation officers to get into are Washington University in St Louis, Boston College, and Boston University.
Some great schools for probation 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 probation 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. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions Rate
15%
SAT Average
1,506
2. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
28%
SAT Average
1,429
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
6%
SAT Average
1,512
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
40%
SAT Average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for probation officers
The easiest schools for probation officers to get into are Nyack College, kean university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a probation 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 probation officers.
1. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
95%
SAT Average
980
4. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,046
5. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions Rate
96%
SAT Average
1,111
Average probation officer salary by education level
| Probation Officer education level | Probation Officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $52,662 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $48,062 |
Probation Officer Education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common community and social services questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025