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Criminal Justice and Corrections at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $32,899/yr (-15% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (36% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (480,600 openings/yr)

ROI 13.1x earnings multiple (6.5x out-of-state)

Ranked #312 of 629 Criminal Justice and Corrections programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$517K	$515K	$478K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	13.1x	13.1x	12.1x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	6.5x	6.5x	6.0x
Probability of Field Employment	34%	32%	26%
DegreeOutlook Score	53	52	43

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$39,436

Out-of-state: $79,756 (6.5x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$26,000

34% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$11,000

4.0 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$50,935

55% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

At $32,899/yr, Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley land near the $38,544 national average — neither a standout nor a red flag.

The 13.1x 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 median debt load of $11,000 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios we track.

Ranked #312 out of 629 programs, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Criminal Justice and Corrections offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth from $32,899 to $50,935 over five years (55% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

About The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

With 85% of applicants admitted, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley prioritizes broad access, serving a student body of 27,026 in Edinburg, TX. 64% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating strong socioeconomic diversity. The average net cost of $26,000 over four years represents a 34% discount from published tuition.

See all programs and financial aid at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley →

Top Career Paths

Managers, all other $136,550/yr

First-line supervisors of police and detectives $105,980/yr

Detectives and criminal investigators $93,580/yr

View all 20 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Other Schools

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Explore the Trade Alternative

Not every career requires a four-year degree. Trade programs in related fields can offer competitive salaries with a fraction of the student loan burden.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's Criminal Justice and Corrections program score?

This program scores 52/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →