U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 45 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 39% 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 $70,038. College Scorecard.
Merrimack 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 Merrimack 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 | $31,710 | $130,011 | 4.4 years |
| $30–48k | $29,417 | $120,610 | 4.1 years |
| $48–75k | $31,962 | $131,044 | 4.4 years |
| $75–110k | $36,045 | $147,785 | 5.0 years |
| $110k+ | $41,050 | $168,305 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (65% 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 ($69,615) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,735 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 Massachusetts colleges
Every Massachusetts college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fisher College | $80,136 | $27,000 | $26,649 | 28% |
| 2 | Northeastern University | $77,477 | $22,809 | $30,915 | 91% |
| 3 | Anna Maria College | $76,013 | $27,000 | $28,333 | 46% |
| 4 | Nichols College | $75,321 | $27,000 | $33,036 | 63% |
| 5 | Merrimack College | $69,615 | $27,000 | $37,927 | 70% |
| 6 | Westfield State University | $67,363 | $24,422 | $16,721 | 54% |
| 7 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | $66,258 | $26,000 | $17,163 | 65% |
| 8 | Worcester State University | $65,588 | $24,953 | $13,381 | 61% |
| 9 | Curry College | $64,406 | $25,000 | $29,207 | 51% |
| 10 | Bridgewater State University | $64,178 | $26,696 | $16,383 | 53% |
| 11 | Fitchburg State University | $62,396 | $26,000 | $14,262 | 55% |
| 12 | University of Massachusetts-Boston | $62,222 | $27,000 | $17,707 | 49% |
| 13 | Springfield College | $60,494 | $25,500 | $30,587 | 74% |
| 14 | Western New England University | $60,486 | $26,399 | $27,290 | 64% |
| 15 | Salem State University | $59,774 | $26,220 | $15,996 | 50% |
| 16 | Endicott College | $58,605 | $27,000 | $40,654 | 76% |
| 17 | College of Our Lady of the Elms | $56,168 | — | $17,545 | 68% |
| 18 | American International College | $50,021 | $29,750 | $23,274 | 46% |
9 more Massachusetts 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 Merrimack College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Merrimack College
- Acceptance rate: 70% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 70% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $75,584
- Full cost breakdown · all 69 majors · overview
Merrimack College Criminal Justice questions
How much do Merrimack College Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Merrimack College earn a median $69,615 four years after graduating and $43,323 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do Merrimack College Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Merrimack College is $27,000, about 39% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is Merrimack College a good school for Criminal Justice in Massachusetts?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Merrimack College earn $69,615 four years out, $5,323 above the median for the same major across 18 Massachusetts colleges ($64,292) and $14,407 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Merrimack College rank for Criminal Justice in Massachusetts?
Of 18 Massachusetts colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Merrimack College ranks 5th. The highest is Fisher College at $80,136.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $78,180 in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 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: “Merrimack College Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/merrimack-college/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).