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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #185 of 629

Criminal Justiceat University of Illinois Springfield

Graduates earn $41,064/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $517K; scenarios range from $479K to $519K depending on AI disruption.

Springfield, IL Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
56 SOLID
56
Optimistic
46
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,064
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.0x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$517K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Illinois Springfield

Graduates earn $41,064/yr, edging above the $38,544 national average for Criminal Justice — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

With a 10.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 8% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Criminal Justice career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

At $18,750 in median debt against $41,064 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

A #185 ranking among 629 Criminal Justice programs places University of Illinois Springfield in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

A 31% earnings increase from $41,064 to $53,930 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.

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
$479K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score46/100
Earnings Multiple9.8x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$517K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple10.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$519K
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 University of Illinois Springfield'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 University of Illinois Springfield 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 University of Illinois Springfield

Other top programs at University of Illinois Springfield

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Illinois Springfield, 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 University of Illinois Springfield

What does a 56/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Criminal Justice at University of Illinois Springfield?

At 56/100, University of Illinois Springfield's Criminal Justice program delivers middling returns. School cost and personal fit become important decision factors.