Criminal Justice
Homeland Security & Law Enforcement · federal classification: Criminal Justice and Corrections
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $56,988 | $48,364 to $68,730 | 175 | 95% |
| Associate's Degree | $47,196 | $42,775 to $53,314 | 369 | 96% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,282 | $49,417 to $59,346 | 592 | 99% |
| Master's Degree | $63,268 | $55,967 to $74,921 | 126 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +3% (2025 to 2035), about 460,900 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security Guards | $38,020 | +0.9% | 156,000 |
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,210 | +3.5% | 51,500 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $59,550 | +4.4% | 33,900 |
| Compliance Officers | $80,730 | +3.8% | 32,700 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $58,940 | -7.4% | 28,400 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a criminal justice program, of 1,789 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Southern New Hampshire University
- CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
- University of Phoenix-Arizona
- Liberty University
- Eastern Gateway Community College
- Rio Salado College
- University of Virginia-Main Campus
- Sam Houston State University
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.