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Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of Houston-Downtown

Houston, TX · Public · Bachelor's Degree

DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition

Optimistic

Base Case

Pessimistic

Earnings $42,122/yr (9% vs median)

AI Risk Moderate (36% exposed)

Job Market Very Large (480,600 openings/yr)

ROI 16.9x earnings multiple (7.3x out-of-state)

Ranked #49 of 629 Criminal Justice and Corrections programs Top 10%

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates.

	Optimistic No Disruption	Base Case Gradual AI	Pessimistic Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings	$523K	$521K	$482K
Earnings Multiple (In-State)	17.0x	16.9x	15.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State)	7.4x	7.3x	6.8x
Probability of Field Employment	34%	32%	26%
DegreeOutlook Score	63	63	53

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)

$30,832

Out-of-state: $71,152 (7.3x ROI)

4-Year Net Price (After Aid)

$58,492

-90% less than sticker · See by income

Median Debt at Graduation

$19,815

5.6 months of Year 1 earnings

Reported Earnings (5 Year)

$55,229

31% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

University of Houston-Downtown's Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates start at $42,122/yr — above the $38,544 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 16.9x 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.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $19,815 in median debt clears quickly against $42,122 in annual earnings.

A #49 ranking out of 629 Criminal Justice and Corrections programs nationally puts University of Houston-Downtown in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $42,122 to $55,229 shows 31% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About University of Houston-Downtown

A 91% acceptance rate means University of Houston-Downtown is accessible to most applicants, with a mid-sized student body of 12,812 in Houston, TX. With 52% of students on Pell Grants, the campus draws from a broad economic spectrum.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Houston-Downtown →

Top Career Paths

Managers, all other $136,550/yr

First-line supervisors of police and detectives $105,980/yr

Detectives and criminal investigators $93,580/yr

View all 20 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Other Schools

Other Majors at University of Houston-Downtown

Consider the Trade Route?

Trade programs often mean less time in school, lower student debt, and hands-on career paths that tend to be more resilient to AI disruption.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does University of Houston-Downtown's Criminal Justice and Corrections program score?

This program scores 63/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →