---
title: Is a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree worth the debt?
cip: 4301
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **690** colleges (690 of 690 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $33,884 ($34,526 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $24,553 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.71× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $30,906–$37,301 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate | $39,139 | $9,500 | 0.30× | 109 | 109/109 |
| Associate's | $29,745 | $13,374 | 0.46× | 345 | 345/345 |
| Bachelor's | $33,884 | $24,553 | 0.71× | 690 | 690/690 |
| Master's | $45,748 | $37,740 | 0.79× | 128 | 128/128 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Union Institute & University | $114,947 | $18,750 |
| Fisher College (MA) | $73,807 | $26,500 |
| Siena Heights University (MI) | $66,436 | $19,286 |
| Robert Morris University (PA) | $57,195 | — |
| Reinhardt University (GA) | $56,089 | — |
| Wayland Baptist University (TX) | $55,876 | $24,145 |
| Central Christian College of Kansas (KS) | $54,338 | $31,250 |
| National University (CA) | $53,819 | $25,000 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach (FL) | $53,718 | — |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide (FL) | $53,718 | — |
| Champlain College (VT) | $52,991 | $25,000 |
| Columbia Southern University (AL) | $52,800 | $20,209 |
| Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (MN) | $52,779 | — |
| Herzing University-Birmingham (AL) | $52,717 | $19,310 |
| Herzing University-Atlanta (GA) | $52,717 | $19,310 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/criminal-justice-and-corrections.jsonld` · `/education/fields/criminal-justice-and-corrections.json`