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Police academy in San Francisco, California

6 police and corrections programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

4 schools offer these law enforcement programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Police officers protect lives and property. Applicants need at least a high school diploma, though some departments and federal agencies ask for college classes or a degree, and they usually must be 21 and meet strict physical and personal standards; most then graduate from their agency's training academy and train on the job.1

In San Francisco, 3 of the 6 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 3 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 6 programs here are corrections certificate (3 programs), police academy (basic law enforcement, 2 programs) and law enforcement certificate (1 program).

See the 6 programs

All 26 police and corrections programs in California, including online programs

How much does police academy cost in San Francisco?

$724 to $1,092 is what most police and corrections programs in San Francisco cost if you pay yourself

That is the middle half of the 6 programs with a price. All of them: $552 to $2,148

In the typical program

Finished the program
Not reported
None of the 6 programs report it
Working 6 months later
Not reported
None of the 6 programs report it
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
None of the 6 programs report it
Length
16 to 30 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in San Francisco may also offer police academy training. How these figures are made

Is there free police academy training in San Francisco?

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 6 police and corrections programs in San Francisco approved for WIOA funding

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6 programs

  • Corrections certificateHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    ADJUS Correctional Specialist certificate

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$552
    Program website, ADJUS Correctional Specialist certificate at Diablo Valley College
    More details about ADJUS Correctional Specialist certificate at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 50 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $662
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $552
    Program website, ADJUS Correctional Specialist certificate at Diablo Valley College

  • Corrections certificateHybridPrerequisite courses

    Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Correctional Specialist

    Contra Costa College

    San Pablo

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Contra Costa College, San PabloCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$690
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Correctional Specialist at Contra Costa College
    More details about Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Correctional Specialist at Contra Costa College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $991
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $690
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Correctional Specialist at Contra Costa College

  • Corrections certificateHybridPrerequisite courses

    Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Corrections

    Contra Costa College

    San Pablo

    Accredited school

    Prerequisite courses

    Contra Costa College, San PabloCorrections certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · Prerequisite courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$828
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Corrections at Contra Costa College
    More details about Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Corrections at Contra Costa College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    32 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $925
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $828
    School website, Cert. of Achievement Administration of Justice Corrections at Contra Costa College

  • Law enforcement certificateHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    ADJUS Police/Law enforcement

    Diablo Valley College

    Pleasant Hill

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Diablo Valley College, Pleasant HillLaw enforcement certificate · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$920
    Program website, ADJUS Police/Law enforcement at Diablo Valley College
    More details about ADJUS Police/Law enforcement at Diablo Valley College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    16 weeks, 21 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $969
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $920
    Program website, ADJUS Police/Law enforcement at Diablo Valley College

  • Police academy (basic law enforcement)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent

    ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE-Basic Law Enfrcmt Acdmy Intensive(Cert of Achievement)

    Los Medanos College

    Pittsburg

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Los Medanos College, PittsburgPolice academy (basic law enforcement) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$1,150
    School website, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE-Basic Law Enfrcmt Acdmy Intensive(Cert of Achievement) at Los Medanos College
    More details about ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE-Basic Law Enfrcmt Acdmy Intensive(Cert of Achievement) at Los Medanos College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    26 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,455
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $1,150
    School website, ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE-Basic Law Enfrcmt Acdmy Intensive(Cert of Achievement) at Los Medanos College

  • Police academy (basic law enforcement)In personEducation and courses

    Basic Police Officer Certificate of Achievement

    City College of San Francisco

    San Francisco

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    City College of San Francisco, San FranciscoPolice academy (basic law enforcement) · Accredited schoolIn person · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$2,148
    More details about Basic Police Officer Certificate of Achievement at City College of San Francisco
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    54 weeks, 40 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    None listed
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $2,148

How to pay for police academy training in San Francisco

WIOA funding can pay for police academy training in San Francisco

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for police academy training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.67

GI Bill for police academy training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.8

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in San Francisco

How police academy training compares with the rest of public safety across California: First responder training in California

Where the San Francisco law enforcement program numbers come from

Which San Francisco law enforcement programs are on this list?

These are the law enforcement programs with classes in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area that are approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).9 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Online programs are left out here; they are on the California page. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what the area offers.

How the prices and results of San Francisco law enforcement programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about police academy training in San Francisco

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List