U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 37 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 45% 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 $50,822. College Scorecard.
Carthage College 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 Carthage College'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 | $23,293 | $96,666 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $23,630 | $98,065 | 4.3 years |
| $48–75k | $22,427 | $93,072 | 4.0 years |
| $75–110k | $24,995 | $103,729 | 4.5 years |
| $110k+ | $29,176 | $121,080 | 5.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (52% 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 ($60,633) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,069 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 Wisconsin colleges
Every Wisconsin 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 | Marian University | $70,934 | — | $21,937 | 44% |
| 2 | Herzing University-Madisonbachelor's & associate | $69,601 | $28,399 | $22,327 | 28% |
| 3 | Herzing University-Kenosha | $69,601 | $28,399 | $23,066 | 72% |
| 4 | Herzing University-Brookfieldbachelor's & associate | $69,601 | $28,399 | $20,514 | 42% |
| 5 | Carthage College | $60,633 | $27,000 | $26,565 | 64% |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | $59,533 | $25,000 | $16,032 | 56% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $58,762 | $21,500 | $16,550 | 64% |
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh | $58,489 | $25,000 | $14,305 | 46% |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $58,223 | $25,715 | $15,014 | 49% |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Superior | $58,167 | $26,175 | $12,220 | 42% |
| 11 | Concordia University-Wisconsin | $56,188 | $27,000 | $36,201 | 68% |
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside | $54,156 | $20,745 | $11,772 | 40% |
| 13 | Carroll University | $51,960 | $27,000 | $15,193 | 71% |
4 more Wisconsin 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 Carthage College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Carthage College
- Acceptance rate: 87% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 64% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $56,950
- Full cost breakdown · all 52 majors · overview
Carthage College Criminal Justice questions
How much do Carthage College Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Carthage College earn a median $60,633 four years after graduating and $39,551 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do Carthage College Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Carthage College is $27,000, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is Carthage College a good school for Criminal Justice in Wisconsin?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Carthage College earn $60,633 four years out, $1,871 above the median for the same major across 13 Wisconsin colleges ($58,762) and $5,425 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Carthage College rank for Criminal Justice in Wisconsin?
Of 13 Wisconsin colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Carthage College ranks 5th; among the 11 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 3rd. The highest is Marian University at $70,934.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $78,780 in the Kenosha, WI 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: “Carthage College Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/carthage-college/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).