Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $38,495 track close to the $38,544 national median for Criminal Justice and Corrections programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 8.1x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Criminal Justice and Corrections's typical career paths, with 36% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 8% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $21,250 represents roughly 7 months of the $38,495 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
At #289 of 629 Criminal Justice and Corrections programs, Virginia Commonwealth University scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Earnings grow from $38,495 to $57,508 over five years — a 49% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.