Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of Lake Superior State University earn a median $58,286 four years after graduating ($43,937 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,852. That is $3,078 above the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 7th of 17 Michigan colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$58,286

U.S. median for this major: $55,208.

College Scorecard field of study; 30 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$43,937

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,852

About 39% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$12,822 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $27,154. College Scorecard.

Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Lake Superior State University graduates$58,286
Michigan median (17 colleges)$57,537 (+$749)
U.S. median (584 colleges)$55,208 (+$3,078)

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 Lake Superior State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$3,516$15,576under 1 year
$30–48k$9,226$40,8711.6 years
$48–75k$10,422$46,1691.9 years
$75–110k$14,541$64,4172.6 years
$110k+$20,321$90,0223.6 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (38% 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 ($58,286) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,875 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 Michigan colleges

Every Michigan college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Siena Heights University$72,791$22,250$17,12439%
2Michigan State University$62,715$26,000$19,68081%
3Ferris State University$60,325$25,260$8,62447%
4Oakland University$60,027$25,000$9,12058%
5Northern Michigan University$59,390$23,687$14,08552%
6Saginaw Valley State University$59,042$27,824$10,77548%
7Lake Superior State University$58,286$22,852$12,82251%
8Baker College$57,675$47,500$13,15736%
9Grand Valley State University$57,537$26,000$16,31767%
10Western Michigan University$57,012$27,000$15,27358%
11Wayne State University$56,423$28,604$12,76658%
12The University of Olivet$56,379$27,000$21,39335%
13Concordia University Ann Arbor$56,188$27,000$32,81148%
14University of Michigan-Dearborn$54,621$29,692$9,49258%
15Adrian College$54,077$30,500$25,36848%
16University of Michigan-Flint$52,490$31,000$7,00740%
17Madonna University$50,913$19,771$17,75560%

4 more Michigan colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Criminal Justice graduates

Police officer

Michigan$73,730
U.S.$76,210

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.5% by 2035. Typical entry: high school diploma or equivalent.

Compliance Officers

Michigan$77,390
U.S.$80,730

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Michigan$59,270
U.S.$59,550

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 Lake Superior State University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Lake Superior State University

Related majors at Lake Superior State University

  • Homeland Security—
  • Security / Homeland Security—
  • Fire Protection—

Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice questions

How much do Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of Lake Superior State University earn a median $58,286 four years after graduating and $43,937 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Lake Superior State University is $22,852, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is Lake Superior State University a good school for Criminal Justice in Michigan?

On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Lake Superior State University earn $58,286 four years out, $749 above the median for the same major across 17 Michigan colleges ($57,537) and $3,078 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Lake Superior State University rank for Criminal Justice in Michigan?

Of 17 Michigan colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Lake Superior State University ranks 7th. The highest is Siena Heights University at $72,791.

What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?

A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $73,730 in Michigan 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
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Cite this: “Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lake-superior-state-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).