Criminal Justice and Corrections: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 1,435 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Criminal Justice and Corrections pays
Career outlook for Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates
The job market for the occupations Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | 1,333,700 | +4.5% | $136,550 | Bachelor's degree |
| Security guards | 1,262,100 | +0.4% | $38,370 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Police and sheriff's patrol officers | 698,800 | +3.1% | $76,290 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Compliance officers | 418,000 | +3.0% | $78,420 | Bachelor's degree |
| Child, family, and school social workers | 399,900 | +3.4% | $58,570 | Bachelor's degree |
| Correctional officers and jailers | 387,500 | -7.8% | $57,970 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Criminal Justice and Corrections vs similar majors
How Criminal Justice and Corrections stacks up against the closest fields in Homeland Security & Law Enforcement on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Criminal Justice and Corrections Homeland Security & Law Enforcement · this major | Homeland Security | Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other | Fire Protection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 27 F | 74 B | 75 B | 75 B |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $50,540 | $73,738 | $72,056 | $70,408 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $39,861 | $64,499 | $57,850 | $59,248 |
| ROI vs cost | -31% | +245% | +234% | +223% |
| Typical debt | $22,634 | $31,346 | $24,468 | $18,165 |
| Colleges offering it | 1,435 | 42 | 23 | 73 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Criminal Justice and Corrections
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA | Certificate | $60,987 | — | +29,727% | Strong return |
| 2 | Macomb Community College Warren, MI | Certificate | $70,778 | — | +15,832% | Strong return |
| 3 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA | Certificate | $93,404 | — | +7,546% | Strong return |
| 4 | Butte College Oroville, CA | Certificate | $84,378 | — | +7,034% | Strong return |
| 5 | Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI | Certificate | $67,308 | — | +6,766% | Strong return |
| 6 | Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI | Certificate | $80,770 | — | +6,092% | Strong return |
| 7 | Ulster County Community College Stone Ridge, NY | Certificate | $75,149 | — | +5,888% | Strong return |
| 8 | Laredo College Laredo, TX | Certificate | $79,449 | — | +5,842% | Strong return |
| 9 | Lansing Community College Lansing, MI | Certificate | $76,468 | — | +5,688% | Strong return |
| 10 | Camden County College Blackwood, NJ | Certificate | $77,810 | — | +5,372% | Strong return |
| 11 | Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL | Certificate | $65,396 | — | +5,246% | Strong return |
| 12 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO | Certificate | $86,955 | — | +4,539% | Strong return |
| 13 | Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL | Certificate | $57,275 | — | +4,239% | Strong return |
| 14 | Technical College of the Rockies Delta, CO | Certificate | $68,837 | $4,750 | +4,213% | Strong return |
| 15 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL | Certificate | $62,775 | — | +4,206% | Strong return |
| 16 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA | Certificate | $52,752 | — | +3,882% | Strong return |
| 17 | Kalamazoo Valley Community College Kalamazoo, MI | Certificate | $56,618 | — | +3,800% | Strong return |
| 18 | Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD | Certificate | $83,303 | — | +3,791% | Strong return |
| 19 | Red Rocks Community College Lakewood, CO | Certificate | $79,287 | — | +3,691% | Strong return |
| 20 | Wharton County Junior College Wharton, TX | Certificate | $62,492 | — | +3,649% | Strong return |
| 21 | Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs, CO | Certificate | $73,767 | — | +3,582% | Strong return |
| 22 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX | Certificate | $67,046 | — | +3,350% | Strong return |
| 23 | Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA | Certificate | $66,405 | — | +3,281% | Strong return |
| 24 | Pikes Peak State College Colorado Springs, CO | Certificate | $65,234 | — | +3,268% | Strong return |
| 25 | Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL | Certificate | $56,190 | — | +3,241% | Strong return |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.