Federal data
Highest earning criminal justice programs in the United States
U.S. criminal justice programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herzing University | Birmingham | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $67,229 | 73 |
| 2 | Siena Heights University | Adrian | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $67,009 | 57 |
| 3 | National University | San Diego | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $64,143 | 91 |
| 4 | Excelsior University | Albany | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $62,703 | 40 |
| 5 | Colorado State University Global | Denver | Public, 4-year | $61,786 | 69 |
| 6 | Columbia Southern University | Orange Beach | For-profit, 4-year | $60,461 | 170 |
| 7 | American Public University System | Charles Town | For-profit, 4-year | $57,409 | 334 |
| 8 | University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi | Public, 4-year | $55,479 | 225 |
| 9 | Central Christian College of Kansas | McPherson | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $55,453 | 61 |
| 10 | Faulkner University | Montgomery | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $54,704 | 94 |
| 11 | Bethel University | McKenzie | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $54,207 | 163 |
| 12 | Wayland Baptist University | Plainview | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $53,038 | 38 |
| 13 | University of Oklahoma | Norman | Public, 4-year | $53,003 | 49 |
| 14 | Metropolitan State University | Saint Paul | Public, 4-year | $52,125 | 153 |
| 15 | Northeastern University | Boston | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $51,363 | 45 |
| 16 | George Washington University | Washington | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $51,256 | 35 |
| 17 | Walden University | Minneapolis | For-profit, 4-year | $50,634 | 38 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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