Criminal Justice at American University

Washington, DC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Criminal Justice and Corrections

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $37,147/yr (-4% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (36% exposed)

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

ROI 2.5x earnings multiple

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$563K	$558K	$512K
Earnings Multiple	2.5x	2.5x	2.3x
Probability of Field Employment	34%	32%	26%
DegreeOutlook Score	42	42	31

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

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)

$226,172

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$167,780

26% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$23,250

7.5 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$61,582

66% growth from Year 1

American University accepts 47% of applicants, balancing access with selectivity, serving 7,593 students in Washington, DC.

Managers, all other $136,550/yr

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

Detectives and criminal investigators $93,580/yr

For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.

What does a 42/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Criminal Justice at American University?

At 42/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Criminal Justice programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.

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