MASTER'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a master's degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 119 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$64,860 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$64,860Median year-4 earnings
$20,097Average institution net-price context
Not availableMedian federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$64,860Typical earnings four years after completion
$63,826Average earnings five years after completion
Not availableTypical federal student debt
25thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
119College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Criminal Justice and Corrections
How much do Criminal Justice and Corrections master's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $64,860 four years after completion across reportable master's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
A national median federal-debt figure is not reportable for this degree in the current release.
Does the college matter for Criminal Justice and Corrections?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $59,110 to $75,983 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Criminal Justice and Corrections?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 12 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $56,070
- Federal debt
- $14,063
- Programs in the comparison
- 187
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $46,940
- Federal debt
- $14,250
- Programs in the comparison
- 480
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $54,228
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 724
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $104,592
- Federal debt
- $20,182
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $64,860
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 119
Doctoral Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $96,102
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,547
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)
- Year-4 earnings
- $61,271
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 5
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$59,110National median$64,86075th percentile$75,983
119 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$128,337Observed year-4 earnings$75,983
University of San Diego$30,365 price · $148,025 earningsCurry College$29,207 price · $136,583 earningsUniversity of Chicago$14,860 price · $128,337 earningsSalve Regina University$36,967 price · $116,495 earningsUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$17,163 price · $109,714 earningsUniversity of Louisville$17,988 price · $107,484 earningsSalem State University$15,996 price · $107,339 earningsColumbus State University$13,115 price · $94,267 earningsNortheastern University$30,915 price · $93,210 earningsBellevue University$17,550 price · $92,230 earningsSeattle University$34,662 price · $89,830 earningsAmerican Public University System$9,597 price · $89,135 earningsAmerican University$41,943 price · $89,015 earningsConcordia University-Saint Paul$18,462 price · $88,914 earningsMethodist University$24,704 price · $88,766 earningsSaint Elizabeth University$23,125 price · $86,408 earningsLewis University$17,028 price · $84,837 earningsMichigan State University$19,680 price · $84,105 earningsSacred Heart University$46,174 price · $80,320 earningsColorado State University Global$16,510 price · $80,306 earningsCUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice$3,203 price · $79,246 earningsBoston University$24,402 price · $79,216 earningsWestern Illinois University$12,937 price · $78,861 earningsUniversity of New Haven$34,192 price · $78,739 earningsSt. John's University-New York$29,999 price · $78,510 earningsArizona State University Campus Immersion$14,967 price · $78,014 earningsRutgers University-Camden$18,745 price · $75,983 earningsRutgers University-New Brunswick$24,406 price · $75,983 earnings
$9,597Annual college-wide average net price$36,967
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of San Diego$148,0252Curry College$136,5833University of Chicago$128,3374Salve Regina University$116,4955University of Massachusetts-Lowell$109,7146University of Louisville$107,4847Salem State University$107,3398Columbus State University$94,2679Northeastern University$93,21010Northeastern University Professional Programs$93,210Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-9%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary$76,590 median wage13,150 jobs nationwide+1.5% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$45,000–$140,240 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives$106,040 median wage154,610 jobs nationwide+3.3% projected growth through 2035 · 10,600 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$63,350–$165,110 typical wage rangeDetectives and Criminal Investigators$93,790 median wage114,430 jobs nationwide+0.2% projected growth through 2035 · 7,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$55,390–$160,540 typical wage rangePolice and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers$76,210 median wage670,520 jobs nationwide+3.5% projected growth through 2035 · 51,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$47,510–$115,120 typical wage rangePrivate Detectives and Investigators$51,220 median wage35,580 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 3,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$36,740–$97,630 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers$77,970 median wage53,380 jobs nationwide-2.5% projected growth through 2035 · 3,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$52,330–$127,780 typical wage rangeCorrectional Officers and Jailers$58,940 median wage380,500 jobs nationwide-7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 28,400 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$42,760–$93,220 typical wage rangeManagers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeEmergency Management Directors$93,330 median wage13,500 jobs nationwide+3.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$54,210–$166,430 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other$76,400 median wage20,690 jobs nationwide+1.9% projected growth through 2035 · 1,700 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$41,110–$103,420 typical wage rangeLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 median wage73,910 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,000–$102,690 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Security Workers$55,940 median wage81,480 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 6,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,300–$92,260 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.