Checked 15 Nov 2026 by the team. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
New Jersey State Police requirements give four education routes: a bachelor's degree; an associate degree or 60 college credits plus 24 months of work; 30 college credits plus 24 months of active military duty; or 80 credits with a bachelor's finished a year later. Every route counts credits from an accredited college or university.
Under the New Jersey State Police minimum qualifications, an applicant needs a bachelor's degree, or an associate degree or 60 college credits plus 24 months of work experience, or 30 college credits plus 24 months of active military duty, or 80 college credits with a bachelor's degree completed one year later, all from an accredited college or university.
The rule asks for 60 college credits (with 24 months of work), 30 (with 24 months of active duty), 80 (with a bachelor's a year later), or a bachelor's degree. The legal source is New Jersey State Police minimum qualifications.
| Option | What NJSP asks for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university | [1] |
| 60 credits + work | Associate degree or 60 college credits + 24 months (104 weeks, 20+ hours a week) of work; military counts | [1] |
| 30 credits + active duty | 30 college credits + 24 months of active military duty | [1] |
| 80 credits | 80 college credits, with a bachelor's finished one year later; not considered for the current selection | [1] |
| Age | 20 at application, 21 at Academy start, under 35 at Academy graduation | [1] |
| Residency | New Jersey residency on graduation from the Academy | [1] |
New Jersey State Police, Recruiting Unit (Office of the Attorney General) decides how this rule applies to you. We read its published rule and the pages below; each was checked on 15 Nov 2026.
Each course below is ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended for college credit. Whether it counts here is the decision of the college and of New Jersey State Police, Recruiting Unit (Office of the Attorney General).
Crime, causes and the justice system: the subject applicants ask about first.
Self-paced online Introduction to Criminology course (Criminology 150). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Behaviour, stress and decision-making, used daily in police work.
Self-paced online Introduction to Psychology course (Psychology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Communities, groups and social problems officers meet on patrol.
Self-paced online Introduction to Sociology course (Sociology 110). ACE and NCCRS recommend 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Ethical reasoning, a theme in every police academy.
Self-paced online Ethics in the Social Sciences course (Social Science 110). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
Report writing starts with clear college writing.
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit; a college transcript from one of them, or another accredited college, is what NJSP reads.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
| Option | Price | For this rule | Price checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI Study PRO | $99 a month, every course | $99 for each month you are subscribed; take as many courses as you finish in that time | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Mercer County Community College | $260.55 a credit for Mercer residents; $420.25 for other New Jersey residents | $7,816.50 for 30 credits or $15,633 for 60 credits at the Mercer resident rate | 15 Nov 2026 |
| Sophia Learning | $99 a month or $799 a year | Self-paced courses; the credit still has to be posted by a college | 15 Nov 2026 |
| StraighterLine | $99 a month + $79 a course | $790 in course fees for 10 courses (30 credits), plus the months you study | 15 Nov 2026 |
County college course fees are extra, and each college sets its own rate. UPI Study PRO is $99 a month for as many courses as you finish, but it saves money only if a college posts the credit and NJSP agrees in writing that it counts.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
Ask the NJSP Recruiting Unit in writing whether credit posted by a college from ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses counts toward your option, before you enrol, and keep the reply.
The New Jersey State Police lists its minimum qualifications on its recruiting site. The education part has four routes, and an applicant needs to meet one. Each route counts degrees or credits from an accredited college or university, so the proof is always a college transcript.
For the selection process shown when we checked the page on 15 November 2026, every obligation had to be complete by 31 August 2026, and the application period had closed. A new class usually brings new dates, so read the page again before you plan.
Many applicants are close to a route: 45 credits from a community college, or a few courses short of an associate degree. The gap is often general education and social science, such as writing, psychology, sociology or criminology.
UPI Study's courses carry ACE or NCCRS credit recommendations. They count for NJSP only once an accredited college or university awards the credit on its own transcript. TESU and UoPeople are partner colleges that consider ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit, and many other colleges do the same. Ask the college how it would post each course, and ask the NJSP Recruiting Unit in writing whether credit posted that way counts, before you start.
Town and county police departments hire on their own rules, and many New Jersey departments hire through the Civil Service Commission. Their education rules differ from the State Police and are not covered on this page. If you plan to apply to a local department, read its own announcement and ask its hiring office how it treats college credit.
College credit can still help there: some departments give preference or pay steps for credits or degrees, and a degree opens promotion later.
It depends on the route. NJSP lists a bachelor's degree; an associate degree or 60 college credits plus 24 months of work; 30 college credits plus 24 months of active military duty; or 80 credits with a bachelor's finished a year later. All credits come from an accredited college or university.
Yes. NJSP says the 24 months of work experience for the 60-credit route must equal 104 weeks of at least 20 hours a week, including military experience, and the weeks need not be in a row. A separate route asks for 30 credits plus 24 months of active duty.
Only after an accredited college or university awards the credit on its own transcript, because NJSP counts credits from such a college. Our courses carry ACE or NCCRS recommendations, which many colleges consider. Ask the college how it would post each course, and ask the NJSP Recruiting Unit in writing before you enrol.
NJSP says an applicant must be at least 20 on the application date, 21 at the start of the Academy class, and must not reach the 35th birthday before Academy graduation. Because Academy dates can move, an applicant near the limit should check the class schedule carefully.
When we checked on 15 November 2026 the recruiting page said the application period had closed, and the listed deadlines were 31 August 2026. A new selection usually brings new dates, so read the minimum qualifications page again before you plan your credits.
Local and county departments set their own rules, and many hire through the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. This page covers the State Police only. Read the announcement for the department you want, and ask its hiring office in writing how it treats college credit.
Get NJSP's answer in writing first, then close your credit gap at your own pace and have a college post the credit.