Criminology
Social Sciences
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,520 | $50,560 to $59,703 | 114 | 98% |
| Master's Degree | $65,307 | $58,962 to $70,574 | 19 | 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 +4% (2025 to 2035), about 116,900 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $141,900 | +4.9% | 100,900 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $62,280 | +4.4% | 11,200 |
| Psychologists, All Other | $110,840 | +2.3% | 3,500 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | $76,590 | +1.5% | 1,100 |
| Sociologists | $106,030 | +3.8% | 200 |
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 criminology program, of 221 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- University of California-Irvine
- University of South Florida
- University of Maryland-College Park
- California State University-Fresno
- The University of Alabama
- Northern Arizona University
- California State University-San Marcos
- University of Florida
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.