U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 154 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 44% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,146. College Scorecard.
BSU Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses BSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,834 | $32,981 | 1.9 years |
| $30–48k | $9,848 | $41,460 | 2.4 years |
| $48–75k | $14,333 | $60,342 | 3.5 years |
| $75–110k | $19,567 | $82,377 | 4.7 years |
| $110k+ | $23,479 | $98,847 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates 4 years after graduating ($52,997) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,463 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice at Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calumet College of Saint Joseph | $106,465 | $23,856 | $22,451 | 23% |
| 2 | Oakland City University | $62,595 | $24,657 | $15,210 | 66% |
| 3 | University of Indianapolis | $62,307 | $26,324 | $21,602 | 56% |
| 4 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $59,541 | $20,300 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 5 | Indiana University-Northwest | $58,155 | $24,471 | $5,130 | 37% |
| 6 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $57,754 | $19,464 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 7 | Vincennes Universitymostly 2-year | $53,461 | $21,030 | $11,225 | 39% |
| 8 | Ball State University | $52,997 | $23,367 | $14,940 | 62% |
| 9 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | $52,629 | $33,938 | $22,866 | 67% |
| 10 | Indiana University-Kokomo | $52,161 | $25,000 | $3,968 | 46% |
| 11 | Indiana University-East | $51,990 | $28,686 | $8,134 | 40% |
| 12 | Indiana University-South Bend | $51,778 | $17,275 | $8,653 | 40% |
| 13 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $50,916 | $20,000 | $12,923 | 48% |
| 14 | Indiana University-Southeast | $49,003 | $23,950 | $7,888 | 39% |
| 15 | Trine University | $48,877 | $26,000 | $25,355 | 64% |
| 16 | Indiana Institute of Technology | $47,199 | $35,511 | $23,206 | 48% |
| 17 | Purdue University Fort Wayne | $46,046 | $25,000 | $13,171 | 36% |
| 18 | Grace College and Theological Seminary | $42,932 | $23,250 | $19,932 | 69% |
7 more Indiana colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Criminal Justice graduates
Police officer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.5% by 2035. Typical entry: high school diploma or equivalent.
Compliance Officers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at BSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About BSU
- Acceptance rate: 86% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 62% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,833
- Full cost breakdown · all 90 majors · overview
Related majors at BSU
- Anthropology$44,371
BSU Criminal Justice questions
How much do BSU Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Ball State University earn a median $52,997 four years after graduating and $39,991 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do BSU Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Ball State University is $23,367, about 44% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is BSU a good school for Criminal Justice in Indiana?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Ball State University earn $52,997 four years out, $602 above the median for the same major across 22 Indiana colleges ($52,395) and $2,211 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does BSU rank for Criminal Justice in Indiana?
Of 18 Indiana colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Ball State University ranks 8th; among the 16 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 7th. The highest is Calumet College of Saint Joseph at $106,465.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $64,040 in the Muncie, IN area and $76,210 nationally. Others include compliance officers and child, family, and school social workers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ball State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ball-state-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).