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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #105 of 629

Criminal Justiceat Indiana University-Northwest

Graduates earn $41,295/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $499K; scenarios range from $464K to $500K depending on AI disruption.

Gary, IN Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
59
Optimistic
48
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,295
1-year post-graduation
ROI
14.2x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$499K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Indiana University-Northwest

Indiana University-Northwest's Criminal Justice graduates start at $41,295/yr — above the $38,544 national average, though not by a wide margin.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 15.3x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Criminal Justice programs nationally.

Some AI exposure exists in Criminal Justice's typical career paths, with 36% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 7% gap from the optimistic case.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $20,500 in median debt clears quickly against $41,295 in annual earnings.

At #105 of 629 nationally, this is a top-5% Criminal Justice program. Financial outcomes consistently outperform the vast majority of peers.

Earnings grow from $41,295 to $49,702 over five years — a 20% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career 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
$464K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple14.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$499K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple15.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$500K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple15.3x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Indiana University-Northwest'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 Indiana University-Northwest 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 Indiana University-Northwest

Other top programs at Indiana University-Northwest

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Indiana University-Northwest, 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 Indiana University-Northwest

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Criminal Justice at Indiana University-Northwest?

A score of 59/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Criminal Justice field.

What makes Indiana University-Northwest's Criminal Justice program stand out?

Ranked #105 of 629 programs nationally, Indiana University-Northwest lands in the top 25%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.