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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #170 of 629

Criminal Justiceat The University of Texas at Arlington

Graduates earn $40,577/yr in their first year — about 5.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $523K; scenarios range from $484K to $526K depending on AI disruption.

Arlington, TX Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
57 SOLID
58
Optimistic
47
Pessimistic
Earnings
$40,577
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$523K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at UT Arlington

Graduates earn $40,577/yr, edging above the $38,544 national average for Criminal Justice — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 11.2x 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 8% gap from the optimistic case.

At $16,831 in median debt against $40,577 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

At #170 of 629 Criminal Justice programs, The University of Texas at Arlington scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.

Earnings grow from $40,577 to $55,315 over five years — a 36% 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
$484K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score47/100
Earnings Multiple10.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$523K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score57/100
Earnings Multiple11.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$526K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple11.2x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

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

Other top programs at UT Arlington

Other highest-scoring programs offered at UT Arlington, 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 UT Arlington

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Criminal Justice at The University of Texas at Arlington?

A score of 57/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Criminal Justice field.