Best programs to become a probation officer
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Social Work (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 786 schools trains probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, graduating 56,891 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $66,270 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About probation officers and correctional treatment specialists
Provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole. Make recommendations for actions involving formulation of rehabilitation plan and treatment of offender, including conditional release and education and employment stipulations.
Best programs to study to become a probation officer
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 44.0701 | 56,891 | 100.0% | 786 | $37,264 | $26,140 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walden University Minneapolis, MN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 1,740 | Social Work | — | — | — |
| 2 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 1,355 | Social Work | 71% | — | 93% |
| 3 | The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 895 | Social Work | 54% | — | 80% |
| 4 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder program | 765 | Social Work | 84% | — | 58% |
| 5 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 745 | Social Work | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 6 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 731 | Social Work | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 7 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 643 | Social Work | 57% | — | 54% |
| 8 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 625 | Social Work | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 9 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder program | 572 | Social Work | 88% | — | 61% |
| 10 | Indiana University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 565 | Social Work | 54% | — | 76% |
| 11 | Fordham University Bronx, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 564 | Social Work | 82% | $38,931 | 59% |
| 12 | University of Denver Denver, CO Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 556 | Social Work | 76% | $29,726 | 78% |
| 13 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 507 | Social Work | 93% | — | 16% |
| 14 | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 487 | Social Work | 92% | $26,873 | 10% |
| 15 | Simmons University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 483 | Social Work | 72% | $24,848 | 70% |
| 16 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Public · 1 feeder program | 456 | Social Work | 69% | — | 73% |
| 17 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder program | 452 | Social Work | 63% | — | 93% |
| 18 | Portland State University Portland, OR Public · 1 feeder program | 427 | Social Work | 53% | — | 91% |
| 19 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN Public · 1 feeder program | 418 | Social Work | 74% | — | 42% |
| 20 | Yeshiva University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 399 | Social Work | 83% | $39,696 | 56% |
| 21 | New York University New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 379 | Social Work | 88% | $29,023 | 9% |
| 22 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 365 | Social Work | 53% | — | 91% |
| 23 | University of Massachusetts Global Aliso Viejo, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 355 | Social Work | 43% | — | — |
| 24 | Wayne State University Detroit, MI Public · 1 feeder program | 354 | Social Work | 58% | — | 81% |
| 25 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 346 | Social Work | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 26 | Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 346 | Social Work | 35% | $18,316 | — |
| 27 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 338 | Social Work | 75% | — | 77% |
| 28 | Boise State University Boise, ID Public · 1 feeder program | 329 | Social Work | 60% | — | 87% |
| 29 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 321 | Social Work | 78% | — | 40% |
| 30 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 1 feeder program | 320 | Social Work | 85% | — | 58% |
| 31 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 317 | Social Work | 69% | — | 46% |
| 32 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 317 | Social Work | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 33 | University of Nevada - Reno Reno, NV Public · 1 feeder program | 317 | Social Work | 61% | — | 74% |
| 34 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 306 | Social Work | 68% | — | 90% |
| 35 | Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY Public · 1 feeder program | 296 | Social Work | 76% | — | 49% |
| 36 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 294 | Social Work | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 37 | Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO Public · 1 feeder program | 293 | Social Work | 32% | — | 99% |
| 38 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 287 | Social Work | 69% | — | 85% |
| 39 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder program | 283 | Social Work | 0% | — | 67% |
| 40 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 283 | Social Work | 65% | — | 86% |
| 41 | University of Maryland, Baltimore Baltimore, MD Public · 1 feeder program | 282 | Social Work | — | — | — |
| 42 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 269 | Social Work | 51% | — | 94% |
| 43 | Western New Mexico University Silver City, NM Public · 1 feeder program | 263 | Social Work | 32% | — | — |
| 44 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 261 | Social Work | 65% | — | 74% |
| 45 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 1 feeder program | 261 | Social Work | 77% | — | 43% |
| 46 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 257 | Social Work | 85% | — | 42% |
| 47 | University of Kansas Lawrence, KS Public · 1 feeder program | 253 | Social Work | 69% | — | 93% |
| 48 | University of Louisville Louisville, KY Public · 1 feeder program | 253 | Social Work | 61% | — | 79% |
| 49 | Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 251 | Social Work | 91% | $21,126 | 16% |
| 50 | Salisbury University Salisbury, MD Public · 1 feeder program | 249 | Social Work | 68% | — | 87% |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What probation officers and correctional treatment specialists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $80,350 | 4,360 | 0.78× | 35 | 5,167 |
| California | $103,640 | 13,900 | 1.33× | 37 | 4,571 |
| Texas | $52,880 | 8,100 | 1.00× | 48 | 3,615 |
| Minnesota | $81,580 | 2,040 | 1.20× | 29 | 2,994 |
| Illinois | $74,390 | 2,590 | 0.74× | 36 | 2,620 |
| Michigan | $79,760 | 2,190 | 0.86× | 30 | 2,446 |
| Ohio | $61,120 | 3,310 | 1.04× | 60 | 2,437 |
| Kentucky | $59,610 | 830 | 0.73× | 15 | 2,415 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,370 | 4,310 | 1.24× | 44 | 2,214 |
| Massachusetts | $94,590 | 1,200 | 0.57× | 19 | 1,947 |
| New Jersey | $80,280 | 2,890 | 1.17× | 24 | 1,745 |
| Arizona | $60,910 | 1,100 | 0.59× | 16 | 1,707 |
| North Carolina | $62,220 | 3,310 | 1.17× | 24 | 1,517 |
| Florida | $50,960 | 4,490 | 0.79× | 15 | 1,479 |
| Indiana | $60,170 | 2,270 | 1.23× | 22 | 1,314 |
| Virginia | $58,820 | 2,730 | 1.15× | 14 | 1,299 |
| Colorado | $71,680 | 2,540 | 1.54× | 8 | 1,260 |
| Tennessee | $58,010 | 2,120 | 1.12× | 19 | 1,062 |
| Louisiana | $62,910 | 980 | 0.88× | 10 | 915 |
| Connecticut | $97,350 | 1,200 | 1.23× | 11 | 880 |
| Alabama | $61,050 | 1,080 | 0.89× | 17 | 878 |
| Maryland | $76,390 | 1,370 | 0.86× | 10 | 810 |
| Georgia | $60,270 | 2,650 | 0.94× | 14 | 755 |
| Missouri | $46,840 | 2,290 | 1.36× | 21 | 722 |
| Kansas | $61,890 | 760 | 0.92× | 13 | 685 |
| Idaho | $59,780 | 760 | 1.54× | 8 | 607 |
| Oregon | $84,920 | 1,260 | 1.12× | 8 | 549 |
| Iowa | $77,390 | 950 | 1.06× | 21 | 507 |
| Mississippi | $34,110 | 150 | 0.22× | 17 | 506 |
| Nevadamoderate | $75,840 | 780 | 0.88× | 3 | 504 |
| Washington | $82,750 | 2,150 | 1.06× | 8 | 496 |
| Oklahoma | $50,380 | 870 | 0.88× | 7 | 477 |
| Arkansas | $51,180 | 850 | 1.13× | 11 | 461 |
| New Mexico | $66,000 | 620 | 1.23× | 8 | 408 |
| West Virginia | $53,120 | 890 | 2.21× | 8 | 344 |
| South Carolina | $56,780 | 460 | 0.35× | 5 | 299 |
| Maine | $71,140 | 160 | 0.43× | 5 | 271 |
| Nebraska | $63,460 | 560 | 0.95× | 6 | 255 |
| Montana | $59,750 | 360 | 1.23× | 6 | 211 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $73,830 | 40 | 0.11× | 3 | 205 |
| North Dakota | $65,140 | 250 | 1.02× | 5 | 189 |
| Delawarelimited | $81,880 | 380 | 1.38× | 1 | 105 |
| Vermontmoderate | $83,820 | 190 | 1.06× | 3 | 96 |
| Alaskalimited | $77,000 | 480 | 2.57× | 2 | 78 |
| Wyomingmoderate | $56,580 | 200 | 1.23× | 3 | 71 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $66,870 | 280 | 1.06× | 3 | 21 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Prepare and maintain case folder for each assigned inmate or offender.
- Gather information about offenders' backgrounds by talking to offenders, their families and friends, and other people who have relevant information.
- Interview probationers and parolees regularly to evaluate their progress in accomplishing goals and maintaining the terms specified in their probation contracts and rehabilitation plans.
- Discuss with offenders how such issues as drug and alcohol abuse and anger management problems might have played roles in their criminal behavior.
- Supervise people on community-based sentences, such as electronically monitored home detention, and provide field supervision of probationers by conducting curfew checks or visits to home, work, or school.
- Investigate alleged parole violations, using interviews, surveillance, and search and seizure.
- Recommend remedial action or initiate court action in response to noncompliance with terms of probation or parole.
- Arrange for medical, mental health, or substance abuse treatment services according to individual needs or court orders.
Skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.8
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies2.3
Knowledge areas
- Law and Government4.4
- Public Safety and Security4.3
- English Language4.1
- Psychology4.1
- Therapy and Counseling4.0
- Sociology and Anthropology3.6
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
- Oral Comprehension3.9
Core activities
- Getting Information4.8
- Documenting/Recording Information4.5
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.4
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.4
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.3
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.3
How to get in
How to become a probation officer
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 44.0701Social Work
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a probation officer?+
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Social Work (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a probation officer?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Social Work (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 56,891 people a year.
How much do probation officers and correctional treatment specialists earn?+
The median is $66,270 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $46,840 at the 10th percentile to $107,790 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists growing?+
BLS projects a +2.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 7,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
786 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Probation Officer, Parole Officer (PO), Correctional Counselor, Juvenile Probation Officer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 21-1092.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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