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Public Safety & Security · Criminal Justice Rank #490 of 629

Criminal Justiceat Western New England University

Graduates earn $41,564/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Criminal Justice average. Base-case 10-year earnings $488K; scenarios range from $455K to $487K depending on AI disruption.

Springfield, MA Private nonprofit Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
45 AVERAGE
46
Optimistic
35
Pessimistic
Earnings
$41,564
1-year post-graduation
ROI
1.2x
Earnings : tuition
10-yr Base
$488K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Western New England University

Graduates earn $41,564/yr, edging above the $38,544 national average for Criminal Justice — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.

The financial case is thin at 2.6x — decade earnings barely exceed the cost of attendance. The value proposition here is driven by factors beyond pure ROI.

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 7% gap from the optimistic case.

Median debt of $26,000 represents roughly 8 months of the $41,564 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.

Ranked #490 of 629 Criminal Justice programs, Western New England University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.

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
$455K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score35/100
Earnings Multiple2.5x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$488K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score45/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$487K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score46/100
Earnings Multiple2.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Western New England University'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 Western New England University 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 Western New England University

Other top programs at Western New England University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Western New England University, 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 Western New England University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Criminal Justice at Western New England University?

A score of 45/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Criminal Justice. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.