Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $32,041/yr fall 17% below the $38,544 national median for Criminal Justice and Corrections. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
The 13.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 36% task exposure — and the 8% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
The $21,411 debt-to-$32,041 income ratio translates to about 8 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.
Ranked #244 out of 629 programs, Murray State University's Criminal Justice and Corrections offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $32,041 to $54,066 over five years (69% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.