BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Criminology worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 126 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$152,743 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
24.4 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−59%Estimated return after 10 years
$55,621Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$73,790
$8,000Annual price−$105,790
$16,000Annual price−$137,790
$20,000Current college-wide context−$153,790
$24,000Annual price−$169,790
$32,000Annual price−$201,790
$40,000Annual price−$233,790
Outcomes at a glance
$55,621Typical earnings four years after completion
$54,511Average earnings five years after completion
$25,000Typical federal student debt
35thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
3Degrees awarded in 2024–25
119College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Criminology
How much do Criminology bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $55,621 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $25,000. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Criminology?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $50,514 to $59,549 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Criminology?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 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
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $45,431
- Federal debt
- $22,744
- Programs in the comparison
- 2
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $55,621
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Programs in the comparison
- 126
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $67,163
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 15
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $73,972
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 1
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$50,514National median$55,62175th percentile$59,549
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.
Highest observed earnings
University of Massachusetts Global
$75,745 four years after completionAliso Viejo, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Miami
$16,500 among completer borrowersCoral Gables, FL · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of Maryland-College Park
362 reported awards in 2024–25College Park, MD · inspect the full program →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.
$70,419Observed year-4 earnings$59,754
University of Massachusetts Global$32,654 price · $75,745 earningsUniversity of Miami$37,244 price · $70,461 earningsUniversity of St Thomas$29,155 price · $70,419 earningsSaint Anselm College$34,779 price · $69,676 earningsGonzaga University$35,119 price · $68,190 earningsAssumption University$29,498 price · $67,883 earningsEmmanuel College$26,706 price · $67,814 earningsUniversity of Maryland-College Park$15,678 price · $67,258 earningsMaryville University of Saint Louis$22,066 price · $66,612 earningsUniversity of Nevada-Reno$15,927 price · $66,273 earningsLe Moyne College$22,277 price · $65,956 earningsStonehill College$33,016 price · $64,957 earningsPacific University$35,273 price · $64,029 earningsValparaiso University$18,578 price · $63,772 earningsUniversity of Delaware$17,799 price · $63,553 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Whitewater$14,158 price · $63,365 earningsRegis University$18,397 price · $63,255 earningsCentral Connecticut State University$16,857 price · $61,950 earningsLycoming College$19,140 price · $61,144 earningsUniversity at Albany$17,167 price · $61,102 earningsNiagara University$17,248 price · $60,995 earningsUniversity of Iowa$22,531 price · $60,947 earningsHamline University$20,744 price · $60,757 earningsThe University of Tampa$36,211 price · $60,742 earningsHofstra University$34,176 price · $60,697 earningsSt. John Fisher University$28,945 price · $60,481 earningsMount St. Mary's University$22,655 price · $60,428 earningsFramingham State University$16,114 price · $59,857 earningsUniversity of Minnesota-Duluth$18,743 price · $59,754 earningsUniversity of New Hampshire-Main Campus$23,805 price · $59,549 earnings
$15,678Annual college-wide average net price$35,273
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 Massachusetts Global$75,7452University of Miami$70,4613University of St Thomas$70,4194Saint Anselm College$69,6765Gonzaga University$68,1906Assumption University$67,8837Emmanuel College$67,8148University of Maryland-College Park$67,2589Maryville University of Saint Louis$66,61210University of Nevada-Reno$66,273Observed 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 ↑
-7%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.
Managers, 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 rangePsychologists, All Other$110,840 median wage18,820 jobs nationwide+2.3% projected growth through 2035 · 3,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$54,990–$168,520 typical wage rangeSociologists$106,030 median wage2,260 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Master's degree$65,160–$172,550 typical wage rangeCriminal 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 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 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.