Best Private Detective programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Gather, analyze, compile, and report information regarding individuals or organizations to clients, or detect occurrences of unlawful acts or infractions of rules in private.
27 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 523 people a year. The job pays a median of $51,200 in Pennsylvania across about 1,220 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
3 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 43.0403In Pennsylvania → | 247 | 47.2% | 10 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 43.0107In Pennsylvania → | 240 | 45.9% | 14 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 3 | CIP 43.0405In Pennsylvania → | 36 | 6.9% | 6 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 11 of the 27 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 132 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | $69,872 | 66% | $24,175 | 90% |
| 2 | Lackawanna College Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 71 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $49,642 | 37% | $25,320 | — |
| 3 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 57 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | $52,887 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 4 | Delaware County Community College Media, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $57,464 | 24% | — | — |
| 5 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 38 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $37,542 | 52% | — | 94% |
| 6 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 80% | $25,834 | 81% |
| 7 | Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $47,990 | 28% | — | — |
| 8 | Reading Area Community College Reading, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 22 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 34% | — | — |
| 9 | Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 57% | $25,843 | 90% |
| 10 | Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | $46,079 | 49% | $29,887 | 74% |
| 11 | Carlow University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 60% | $19,953 | 87% |
| 12 | Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 66% | $24,453 | 90% |
| 13 | Community College of Beaver County Monaca, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 12% | — | — |
| 14 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Johnstown, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $31,499 | 38% | — | — |
| 16 | Luzerne County Community College Nanticoke, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $32,847 | 23% | — | — |
| 17 | Neumann University Aston, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 5 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 54% | $28,753 | 81% |
| 18 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 75% | — | 80% |
| 19 | Valley Forge Military College Wayne, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 96% | $21,011 | — |
| 20 | DeSales University Center Valley, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 72% | $26,990 | 77% |
| 21 | Westmoreland County Community College Youngwood, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 31% | — | — |
| 22 | Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism | — | 24% | — | — |
| 23 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 66% | — | 71% |
| 24 | Gannon University Erie, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 66% | $21,409 | 74% |
| 25 | Harcum College Bryn Mawr, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 1 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 44% | $27,244 | — |
All 27 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris University | Moon Township | Private not-for-profit | 132 | 1 |
| Lackawanna College | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 71 | 1 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 57 | 1 |
| Delaware County Community College | Media | Public | 41 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | California | Public | 38 | 1 |
| University of Scranton | Scranton | Private not-for-profit | 28 | 2 |
| Montgomery County Community College | Blue Bell | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Reading Area Community College | Reading | Public | 22 | 1 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | Gwynedd Valley | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Chestnut Hill College | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
| Carlow University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 1 |
| Waynesburg University | Waynesburg | Private not-for-profit | 11 | 2 |
| Community College of Beaver County | Monaca | Public | 10 | 1 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | Private not-for-profit | 8 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | Johnstown | Public | 8 | 1 |
What private detectives and investigators earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $51,220. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Private Detectives and Investigators page.
How to become a Private Detective
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience needed
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Pennsylvania
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Private Detectives and Investigators4 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 43.0107Criminal Justice/Police Science
- 43.0115Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management(no graduates reported)
- 43.0120Protective Services Operations
- 43.0122Maritime Law Enforcement(no graduates reported)
- 43.0123Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection(no graduates reported)
- 43.0403Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism
- 43.0405Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation
Common questions
Answers for people weighing private detectives and investigators programs in Pennsylvania.
What degree do you need to become a Private Detective?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism, which awarded 247 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 47.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Private Detective?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Security Science and Technology, Criminal Justice and Corrections. Together they graduate about 523 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do private detectives and investigators earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $51,200 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.0% below the U.S. median of $51,220. 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 private detectives and investigators growing?+
BLS projects a +6.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 3,900 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Pennsylvania?+
27 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs 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 private detectives and investigators work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Investigator, Private Investigator, Loss Prevention Officer, Loss Prevention Detective among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 33-9021.
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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