Home›Majors›Criminal Justice and Corrections

DOCTORAL DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4301

Criminal Justice and Corrections: is this doctoral degree worth it?

National picture across 3 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$96,102 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.

$96,102Median year-4 earnings

$27,381Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$96,102Median reported earnings · year 4

$89,626Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

39thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

3Reporting programs

3With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $56,070
Federal debt: $14,063
Reporting programs: 187

178 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $46,940
Federal debt: $14,250
Reporting programs: 480

460 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $54,228
Federal debt: $26,000
Reporting programs: 724

708 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Post-baccalaureate Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $104,592
Federal debt: $20,182
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $64,860
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 119

119 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $96,102
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Graduate/Professional Certificate

Year-4 earnings: $75,547
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 3

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)

Year-4 earnings: $61,271
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 5

5 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

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$85,639National median$96,10275th percentile$96,102

3 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Nova Southeastern University$109,172 2Capella University$96,102 3Walden University$85,639

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1111 · 17 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Police and DetectivesSOC 33-1012 · 9 crosswalk linksDetectives and Criminal InvestigatorsSOC 33-3021 · 7 crosswalk linksPolice and Sheriff’s Patrol OfficersSOC 33-3051 · 7 crosswalk linksPrivate Detectives and InvestigatorsSOC 33-9021 · 5 crosswalk linksCorrectional Officers and JailersSOC 33-3012 · 4 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Correctional OfficersSOC 33-1011 · 4 crosswalk linksManagers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 3 crosswalk linksEmergency Management DirectorsSOC 11-9161 · 2 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All OtherSOC 33-1099 · 2 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Security WorkersSOC 33-1091 · 2 crosswalk linksLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All OtherSOC 19-4099 · 2 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CORRECTIONS

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Nova Southeastern UniversityDoctoral Degree	Fort Lauderdale, FL	$109,172	Not available	Baseline needed	$30,371
2	Capella UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$96,102	Not available	Baseline needed	$17,956
3	Walden UniversityDoctoral Degree	Minneapolis, MN	$85,639	Not available	Baseline needed	$33,817

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.