Police officers who carry firearms make life-and-death decisions under pressure, often involving complex legal, psychological, and community dynamics. The current minimum qualification in most jurisdictions is a high school diploma and a few months of academy training. We require more education to cut hair professionally.
A bachelor's degree requirement for armed officers, from an accredited institution, raises the baseline for judgment, de-escalation, and legal literacy. Research on college-educated officers shows lower rates of use of force and fewer complaints. The credential isn't magic, but it correlates with the outcomes we want.
It's the standard we apply to most professions with this level of public consequence. There's no good argument for applying a lower standard here.