U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 109 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 37% 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 $61,950. College Scorecard.
RWU 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 RWU'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 | $29,778 | $121,792 | 3.9 years |
| $30–48k | $30,087 | $123,056 | 4.0 years |
| $48–75k | $33,623 | $137,518 | 4.5 years |
| $75–110k | $37,318 | $152,631 | 4.9 years |
| $110k+ | $40,792 | $166,839 | 5.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (62% 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 ($70,747) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in RI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $30,867 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 Rhode Island colleges
Every Rhode Island 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 | Roger Williams University | $70,747 | $26,000 | $37,999 | 69% |
| 2 | Salve Regina University | $67,622 | $27,000 | $36,967 | 77% |
| 3 | New England Institute of Technologymostly 2-year | $61,128 | $41,610 | $36,483 | 60% |
| 4 | Rhode Island College | $58,156 | $21,625 | $9,478 | 48% |
| 5 | Johnson & Wales University-Providence | $56,632 | $27,000 | $31,027 | 55% |
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 RWU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About RWU
- Acceptance rate: 88% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 69% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $70,266
- Full cost breakdown · all 71 majors · overview
Related majors at RWU
- Public Administration—
- Security / Homeland Security—
RWU Criminal Justice questions
How much do RWU Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Roger Williams University earn a median $70,747 four years after graduating and $45,356 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do RWU Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Roger Williams University is $26,000, about 37% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is RWU a good school for Criminal Justice in Rhode Island?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Roger Williams University earn $70,747 four years out, $9,619 above the median for the same major across 5 Rhode Island colleges ($61,128) and $15,539 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does RWU rank for Criminal Justice in Rhode Island?
Of 5 Rhode Island colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Roger Williams University ranks 1st, the highest.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $76,850 in the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA area and $76,210 nationally. Others include compliance officers and child, family, and school social workers.
Is RWU the right fit for your family?
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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: “Roger Williams University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/roger-williams-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).