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Criminal Justiceat Northeastern University

Graduates earn $51,363/yr in their first year — about 33.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $595K; scenarios range from $542K to $603K depending on AI disruption.

Boston, MA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
53 AVERAGE
53
Optimistic
44
Pessimistic
Earnings
$51,363
1-year post-graduation
ROI
2.0x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$595K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Northeastern University

Northeastern's highly selective Criminal Justice program, set within a major metropolitan area like Boston, uniquely positions its graduates. The university's renowned co-op program is a significant differentiator, allowing you to build substantial professional experience with federal, state, and local agencies, or even private sector compliance and security firms, before you even graduate. This hands-on foundation is critical for quickly advancing into leadership roles like supervisors or specialized investigative positions, rather than just entry-level roles. The curriculum likely emphasizes analytical and critical thinking skills, preparing you for diverse paths beyond traditional policing, including financial oversight or management within various organizations. To maximize your potential, strategically leverage your co-op experiences to build a specialized skillset, perhaps in areas like cybercrime or data analysis, which are increasingly valuable in the field.

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
$542K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score44/100
Earnings Multiple2.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$595K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple2.4x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$603K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score53/100
Earnings Multiple2.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Northeastern University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Northeastern 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 Northeastern University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Criminal Justice at Northeastern University?

A score of 53/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Criminal Justice field.