Home Schools University of Massachusetts-Lowell Criminal Justice
Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #107 of 629

Criminal Justiceat University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Graduates earn $41,938/yr in their first year — about 9.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $572K; scenarios range from $524K to $579K depending on AI disruption.

Lowell, MA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
59 SOLID
60
Optimistic
49
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,938
1-year post-graduation
ROI
9.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$572K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Massachusetts-Lowell

University of Massachusetts-Lowell's Criminal Justice graduates start at $41,938/yr — above the $38,544 national average, though not by a wide margin.

At 8.6x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.

AI risk is moderate — 36% task exposure — and the 10% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $21,502 debt-to-$41,938 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #107 out of 629 programs, University of Massachusetts-Lowell's Criminal Justice program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.

Earnings growth from $41,938 to $66,631 over five years (59% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful 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
$524K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score49/100
Earnings Multiple7.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$572K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score59/100
Earnings Multiple8.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$579K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple8.7x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Massachusetts-Lowell'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 Massachusetts-Lowell 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 Massachusetts-Lowell

Other top programs at University of Massachusetts-Lowell

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Massachusetts-Lowell, 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 Massachusetts-Lowell

How does University of Massachusetts-Lowell's Criminal Justice program score?

This program scores 59/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Criminal Justice graduates.

Why does University of Massachusetts-Lowell rank so high for Criminal Justice?

The #107 ranking out of 629 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.