Criminal Justice at Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Criminal Justice and Corrections
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
51
Optimistic
50
Base Case
40
Pessimistic
Earnings
$34,604/yr (-10% vs median)
AI Risk
Moderate (36% exposed)
Job Market
Very Large (480,600 openings/yr)
ROI
12.6x earnings multiple (5.6x out-of-state)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Criminal Justice graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $491K | $491K | $458K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 12.6x | 12.6x | 11.7x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 5.6x | 5.6x | 5.2x |
| Probability of Field Employment | 34% | 32% | 26% |
| DegreeOutlook Score | 51 | 50 | 40 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$39,020
Out-of-state: $88,024 (5.6x ROI)
Median Debt at Graduation
$28,375
9.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$46,108
33% growth from Year 1
About Virginia State University
A 89% acceptance rate means Virginia State University is accessible to most applicants, a smaller institution with 4,787 students in Petersburg, VA. Pell Grant recipients make up 71% of the student body — a marker of economic diversity.
See all programs and financial aid at Virginia State University →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
Compare & Explore
Criminal Justice at Other Schools
Other Majors at Virginia State University
Is a Trade Program a Better Fit?
For students who prefer applied learning, trade programs can deliver strong earnings with significantly less debt and shorter time to employment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Virginia State University's Criminal Justice program score?
A score of 50/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Virginia State University trails the majority of Criminal Justice programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research.
See full methodology →