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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #379 of 629

Criminal Justiceat California Lutheran University

Graduates earn $43,122/yr in their first year — about 12.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $573K; scenarios range from $524K to $579K depending on AI disruption.

Thousand Oaks, CA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
49 AVERAGE
50
Optimistic
39
Pessimistic
Earnings
$43,122
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.3x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$573K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at California Lutheran University

California Lutheran University's Criminal Justice graduates start at $43,122/yr — above the $38,544 national average, though not by a wide margin.

An earnings multiple of 2.8x means the program roughly breaks even in financial terms over ten years. Non-financial factors need to justify the investment.

AI risk is moderate — 36% task exposure — and the 10% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $20,000 in median debt clears quickly against $43,122 in annual earnings.

At #379 out of 629 programs, California Lutheran University's financial outcomes for Criminal Justice trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

Earnings growth from $43,122 to $67,177 over five years (56% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$524K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score39/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$573K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple2.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$579K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple2.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to California Lutheran University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Criminal Justice graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Managers, all other
+4.5% 10-yr growth · 106,700 openings/yr
$136,550/yr
Moderate
2
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
+2.9% 10-yr growth · 10,900 openings/yr
$105,980/yr
Moderate
3
Detectives and criminal investigators
-0.7% 10-yr growth · 7,800 openings/yr
$93,580/yr
High
4
Financial examiners
+18.5% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$90,400/yr
High
5
Emergency management directors
+3.0% 10-yr growth · 1,000 openings/yr
$86,130/yr
Moderate
6
Transit and railroad police
+3.0% 10-yr growth · 200 openings/yr
$82,320/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Criminal Justice

How California Lutheran University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Charter Oak State College
CT · Public
67
DW Score
$69K
1-yr earn
19.3x
ROI
Herzing University-Birmingham
AL · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Herzing University-Atlanta
GA · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Herzing University-Minneapolis
MN · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Herzing University-Akron
OH · Private nonprofit
67
DW Score
$67K
1-yr earn
10.9x
ROI
Also at California Lutheran University

Other top programs at California Lutheran University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at California Lutheran University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Criminal Justice offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Criminal Justice trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Criminal Justice at California Lutheran University

How does California Lutheran University's Criminal Justice program score?

This program scores 49/100 — on the lower end for Criminal Justice. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.