U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 153 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 50% 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 $33,007. College Scorecard.
BGSU 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 BGSU'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 | $18,396 | $78,183 | 4.7 years |
| $30–48k | $18,547 | $78,825 | 4.7 years |
| $48–75k | $21,820 | $92,735 | 5.6 years |
| $75–110k | $25,741 | $109,399 | 6.6 years |
| $110k+ | $27,414 | $116,510 | 7.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (49% 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 ($52,068) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,630 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 Ohio colleges
Every Ohio 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 | Herzing University-Akronmostly 2-year | $69,601 | $28,399 | $18,934 | 19% |
| 2 | Tiffin University | $66,059 | $30,758 | $26,500 | 40% |
| 3 | Xavier University | $60,615 | $26,396 | $32,997 | 69% |
| 4 | University of Dayton | $60,583 | $26,000 | $29,533 | 80% |
| 5 | Baldwin Wallace University | $59,020 | $27,000 | $27,603 | 67% |
| 6 | Miami University-Hamilton | $57,868 | $23,505 | $11,286 | 25% |
| 7 | Miami University-Middletown | $57,868 | $23,505 | $10,809 | 32% |
| 8 | Miami University-Oxford | $57,868 | $23,505 | $28,384 | 80% |
| 9 | University of Akron Main Campus | $57,319 | $27,000 | $13,946 | 52% |
| 10 | University of Mount Union | $55,751 | $27,000 | $23,280 | 59% |
| 11 | Defiance College | $54,633 | — | $26,337 | 31% |
| 12 | University of Cincinnati | $54,231 | $25,707 | $25,648 | 75% |
| 13 | University of Toledo | $53,585 | $26,000 | $17,249 | 57% |
| 14 | Ohio Christian University | $53,480 | — | $20,607 | 34% |
| 15 | Ashland University | $53,386 | $29,406 | $21,988 | 61% |
| 16 | Ohio Northern University | $52,606 | $27,000 | $24,478 | 75% |
| 17 | Youngstown State University | $52,574 | $24,465 | $12,767 | 50% |
| 18 | Bowling Green State University | $52,068 | $26,000 | $24,022 | 64% |
| 19 | Muskingum University | $51,445 | $27,000 | $19,532 | 56% |
| 20 | Lake Erie College | $49,426 | — | $20,961 | 38% |
| 21 | Kent State University at Ashtabulamostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $12,205 | 25% |
| 22 | Kent State University at East Liverpoolmostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $13,392 | 26% |
| 23 | Kent State University at Starkmostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $10,897 | 37% |
| 24 | Kent State University at Trumbullmostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $11,135 | 32% |
| 25 | Kent State University at Tuscarawasmostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $12,542 | 38% |
| 26 | Kent State University at Salemmostly 2-year | $48,569 | $25,937 | $13,799 | 31% |
| 27 | Kent State University at Kent | $48,569 | $25,937 | $20,787 | 64% |
| 28 | Central State University | $46,914 | $31,000 | $13,096 | 23% |
19 more Ohio 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 BGSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About BGSU
- Acceptance rate: 81% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 64% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $47,896
- Full cost breakdown · all 79 majors · overview
Related majors at BGSU
- Fire Protection—
BGSU Criminal Justice questions
How much do BGSU Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Bowling Green State University earn a median $52,068 four years after graduating and $36,468 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do BGSU Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Bowling Green State University is $26,000, about 50% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is BGSU a good school for Criminal Justice in Ohio?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Bowling Green State University earn $52,068 four years out, $1,412 below the median for the same major across 29 Ohio colleges ($53,480) and $3,140 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does BGSU rank for Criminal Justice in Ohio?
Of 28 Ohio colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Bowling Green State University ranks 18th; among the 21 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 17th. The highest is Herzing University-Akron at $69,601.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $73,650 in the Toledo, OH 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: “Bowling Green State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/bowling-green-state-university-main-campus/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).