Nevada State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of Nevada State University earn a median $46,443 four years after graduating ($36,363 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $19,500. That is $8,765 below the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 2 Nevada colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$46,443

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

College Scorecard field of study; 41 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$36,363

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$19,500

About 42% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,068 /yr

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

Sticker price $23,718. College Scorecard.

NS Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

NS graduates$46,443

Fewer than 3 Nevada colleges report earnings for this major, so there is no state median.

U.S. median (584 colleges)$55,208 (−$8,765)

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 NS'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$11,438$55,4745.6 years
$30–48k$13,084$63,4576.4 years
$48–75k$16,002$77,6107.8 years
$75–110k$17,757$86,1218.7 years
$110k+$21,125$102,45610.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (12% 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 ($46,443) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,894 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 Nevada colleges

Every Nevada 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
1University of Nevada-Las Vegas$57,556$20,484$10,35951%
2Nevada State University$46,443$19,500$14,06834%

1 more Nevada college offers Criminal Justice but has too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Criminal Justice graduates

Police officer

Las Vegas area$77,750
Nevada$78,140
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

Las Vegas area$76,520
Nevada$78,290
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

Las Vegas area$61,480
Nevada$61,080
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 NS, by income

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

College Scorecard

About NS

NS Criminal Justice questions

How much do NS Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of Nevada State University earn a median $46,443 four years after graduating and $36,363 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do NS Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Nevada State University is $19,500, about 42% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Where does NS rank for Criminal Justice in Nevada?

Of 2 Nevada colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Nevada State University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Nevada-Las Vegas at $57,556.

What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?

A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $77,750 in the Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 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
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Cite this: “Nevada State University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/nevada-state-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).