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Criminal Justiceat Southwestern College

Graduates earn $60,820/yr in their first year — about 58.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $533K; scenarios range from $492K to $536K depending on AI disruption.

Winfield, KS Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
55 SOLID
55
Optimistic
48
Pessimistic
Earnings
$60,820
1-year post-graduation
ROI
3.0x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$533K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Southwestern College

The impressive earnings for Southwestern College's Criminal Justice and Corrections program point to a curriculum that successfully channels graduates into specialized, higher-paying roles, rather than general entry-level positions. This likely reflects strong regional connections to state law enforcement agencies, such as the KBI, and local police departments that prioritize candidates with specific investigative and leadership training. The inclusion of financial examination as a career path suggests the program emphasizes white-collar crime and forensic skills, which command higher salaries. Your success will hinge on leveraging these specialized tracks. To maximize your return, actively seek out internships that align with these supervisory or investigative roles, building a professional network that extends beyond traditional policing early in your academic journey.

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
$492K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score48/100
Earnings Multiple3.2x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$533K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$536K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score55/100
Earnings Multiple3.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Southwestern College'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 Southwestern College 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 Southwestern College

Other top programs at Southwestern College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southwestern College, 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 Southwestern College

How does Southwestern College's Criminal Justice program score?

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