Police academies worldwide serve as institutions for preparing cadets to uphold law and order, but the standards and training methods vary significantly depending on the academy.

List of academies by country

Albania Albanian Police recruits are trained at the Security Academy, located in Tirana.

Australia In Australia, the states and mainland territories run a centralised academy for the training of law enforcement personnel for agencies within a given state or territory.

The academies ensure that officers meet basic local, state and federal standards. Graduation from an approved academy program is usually required before a new law enforcement officer is placed on active duty.

The New South Wales Police Academy, Victoria Police Academy, Queensland Police Academy, Tasmania Police Academy, South Australia Police Academy, Northern Territory Police Academy, Western Australia Police Academy are state police, initial training institutions.

The smaller yet distinguished Australian Federal Police Academy located in Barton, Canberra trains AFP recruits.

Austria There are 10 police academies for the Federal Police (). The basic training for police officers in Austria takes 24 months.

Argentina University Institute of the Argentine Federal Police

Azerbaijan In Azerbaijan, the Police Academy was established in 1921 by the People's Internal Affairs Commissariat of the Azerbaijan Republic and it continued to function in Baku until 1936 when the main building of the academy was moved to Mərdəkan (a district outside Baku).

In 1957, it became the Baku Private Secondary Police School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The graduates were granted legal diplomas. Initially, education spanned two years. From 1957 to 1961, the school trained personnel for Georgia, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Altai, Irkutsk, Krasnodar, Kuybyshev, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo, Saratov, and other states within the USSR.

The main purpose of the academy is to educate students regarding the law as well as specialised training for employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

All candidates are expected to pass an entry examination composed mostly of fitness requirements. A candidate who does not meet the physical fitness requirements, or fails assessments such as medical or MIA checks are considered to be disqualified from the competition. Applicants must be a citizen of Azerbaijan with no criminal record. The successful candidates graduate after studying for 5 years at the academy.

During the course of study, students of academy are provided with dormitories, uniforms, scholarships, and meals. Men and women are placed in separate dormitories on campus.

After graduation, the candidates are assigned police ranks and they are given positions within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The academy studies other countries by sending officers to Germany, Austria, England, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Russia, and other countries.

Bangladesh In Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Police Academy trains recruits of the Bangladesh Police. It also offers refreshment training for previous graduates. Each law enforcement includes specialised training and study durations.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP): Bangladesh Police Academy (1 year), foundation training at Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC) Sub-Inspector: Bangladesh Police Academy (1 year) Sergeant: Bangladesh Police Academy (6 months) Constable: Bangladesh Police Academy (6 months)

Bulgaria The Bulgarian police academy is the Academy of the Ministry of Interior, in Sofia ().

Brazil National Police Academy (ANP - Academia Nacional de Polícia)

Canada

Cadets of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are trained at the RCMP Academy, Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan. After the recruitment process, successful candidates are scheduled to attend the Academy and begin the Cadet Training Program. Cadets are grouped together in what the force calls "troops". A troop consists of a maximum of 32 men and women who follow their entire 26-week training together. The number of trainees at Depot varies in relation to the demands of the force.

Cadet training is offered in either English only or in an English-French bilingual format, and is 26 weeks long. This is on top of an eight-month-long application process. Cadets are trained in use of firearms, defensive tactics, police driving, fitness, drill, applied police sciences and more. Cadets receive an allowance during their training of CA$525 per week in exchange for a commitment to becoming an RCMP officer for two years upon hiring. Once training ends, cadets are offered employment with the RCMP and awarded the status of peace officers. They must be willing to relocate to anywhere within Canada, even to remote areas of the country.

Many Canadian municipal and provincial police forces hire police officers who graduated from the RCMP Academy. No one can join the RCMP as a regular member without completing the RCMP Academy's 26-week program. Candidates who are graduates of a police training institution and have served a minimum of two years in a policing role with another Canadian police agency can undergo a five-week learning and orientation program rather than the full 26-week program.

In addition to training new RCMP regular members, Depot has also been a major continuing-education centre for police in Canada, but is currently tasked primarily with the training of new members and other training is conducted elsewhere. It delivers updated and highly specialized training to experienced RCMP officers and to members of other forces from around the world who want to improve their knowledge.

China Beijing People's Police College China People's Police University Criminal Investigation Police University of China National Police University for Criminal Justice People's Armed Police Special Police College People's Public Security University of China

Hong Kong Hong Kong Police College

Macau Academy of Public Security Forces

Colombia National Police of Colombia recruits are trained at the General Santander National Police Academy.

Cyprus The Cyprus Police Academy, (Greek: Αστυνομική Ακαδημία Κύπρου), is the main educational institution for law enforcement officers in the Republic of Cyprus. Founded in 1990 as the successor to the Police Training School, the CPA is recognised as an institution of higher education by the Cyprus Council for the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications. The CPA operates under the Ministry of Justice and Public Order as a police unit within the organizational structure of the Cyprus Police. It functions on a permanent basis, both for the education of cadet constables and for the training of all police members, regardless of rank, as part of officers' continuing education. Some legal courses are also conducted for non-police officers.

Czech Republic The Police Education and Training Unit (PETU) was established in 2015 and is the leading agency regarding all education and training of the police forces in the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, the Police Academy is a university-level institution, where specialised training for police, public administration, and private security services is provided. Some branches are open to civilians while some are only for police officers and other para-military groups such as firefighters and soldiers. The schools are open to recruits holding advanced educational degrees (bachelor's degree or higher).

Basic training centers for recruits are called "secondary police schools" and every law enforcement officer must advance through one of these centers. In this system, "senior police schools" still exist that have the educational status of "higher learning", where specializations are offered.

Municipal police may have access to several training centers, and some larger cities have their own dedicated campuses. Some municipalities conduct training through privately licensed agencies.

Estonia The Estonian Police was originally established in 1918 and then re-established in 1991 after gaining independence from the Soviet Union. The Estonia Police force consists of three units: Central Criminal Police, the Central Law Enforcement, and the Forensic Service Center. In Estonia, the Estonian Academy of Security Science is located in Tallinn and consists of four colleges including the Police and Border Guard colleges in Muraste and Paikuse. Estonia Police were the first to use Blockchain technology to allow for better policing of the people. Applicants must be in good health, have no criminal background and possess certain traits as evaluated by psychological exams.

Ethiopia Ethiopian Police University College

Finland Recruits in the Finnish Police forces receive training at the Police University College in Finland, or POLAMK. It is located in Tampere, Finland and consists of various teaching facilities and related premises, including a vehicle training facility and a training area for live-action, realistic police operations. POLAMK requires its candidates to be Finnish citizens who have completed at least a vocational qualification, upper secondary school studies or the matriculation examination. Applicants must be in good health, have no criminal background and possess certain traits as evaluated by psychological exams. The Security Intelligence Service performs a basic security background check of all applicants which includes penalties and convictions, arrests for drunkenness, racist attitudes as well as security risks. Applicants must possess, at least, a short-term driving license by the end of the application period. Basic police training requires three years of study and is considered a bachelor's degree.

After the bachelor's degree and three additional years of experience in the field of internal security, an officer is qualified to apply for Master's studies (2 years, Master's degree). Master's studies focus on management skills and supervisory tasks. The master's degree is a required qualification for command positions such as Chief Inspector or Superintendent.

France Entry-level police officers train at National Police Schools () located in Draveil, Reims, Roubaix and Périgueux for twelve months. Programs cover criminal law, intervention techniques, and physical training. Internships that allow for operational practice are also available. Prospective cadets must have a high school diploma.

Cadets training for an intermediate career (between police officer and commissioner) train at the National Superior School for Police Officers () for eighteen months. Cadets must have a bachelor's degree and undergo twelve months of training at an ENP.

The Central Directorate for Recruitment and Training of the National Police oversees both initial and ongoing training across France. The Higher National Police Academy () operates campuses in Saint-Cyr-au-Mont-d'Or and Cannes-Écluse and is designed for future police commissioners and officers. It provides education for high-ranking officials, academic training, and preparation for competitive exams and partnerships with universities. Commissioner cadets are required to have a master's degree and undergo two years of training at an ENSP.

National police training centers offer continuing education in areas including cybercrime and forensic science.

There are competitive exams for different roles in French police academies.

Germany In Germany policing is divided into different levels. There are different police academies () for the federal police () or state police forces (). In addition, there are training centers for several municipal police forces as well.

Georgia Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia

Ghana Ghana Police Service recruits are trained at the Ghana Police Academy in Tesano.

Honduras Officers of the National Police of Honduras train at the General José Trinidad Cabañas National Police Academy of Honduras.