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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #233 of 629

Criminal Justiceat Southern Oregon University

Graduates earn $40,553/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $512K; scenarios range from $475K to $513K depending on AI disruption.

Ashland, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
55 SOLID
56
Optimistic
45
Pessimistic
Earnings
$40,553
1-year post-graduation
ROI
9.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$512K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Southern Oregon University

First-year earnings of $40,553 at Southern Oregon University come in 5% above the national median of $38,544 for Criminal Justice programs.

The 10.6x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 36% task exposure — and the 8% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $20,500 debt-to-$40,553 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #233 out of 629 programs, Southern Oregon University's Criminal Justice offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $40,553 to $52,622 shows 30% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable 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
$475K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple9.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$512K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple10.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$513K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple10.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at Southern Oregon University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Oregon 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 Southern Oregon University

How does Southern Oregon University's Criminal Justice program score?

This program scores 55/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Criminal Justice graduates.