U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 71 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 33% 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 $38,860. College Scorecard.
TCNJ 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 TCNJ'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 | $7,908 | $32,660 | 1.3 years |
| $30–48k | $14,028 | $57,936 | 2.3 years |
| $48–75k | $22,642 | $93,511 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $30,942 | $127,790 | 5.1 years |
| $110k+ | $35,222 | $145,467 | 5.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (76% 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 ($61,605) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NJ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,944 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 New Jersey colleges
Every New Jersey 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 | Monmouth University | $67,842 | $27,000 | $30,988 | 72% |
| 2 | Centenary University | $67,181 | $20,500 | $20,503 | 56% |
| 3 | Felician University | $66,879 | $27,000 | $40,045 | 47% |
| 4 | Rutgers University-Camden | $61,817 | $22,431 | $18,745 | 67% |
| 5 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $61,817 | $22,431 | $24,406 | 84% |
| 6 | Rutgers University-Newark | $61,817 | $22,431 | $19,703 | 64% |
| 7 | The College of New Jersey | $61,605 | $20,500 | $27,646 | 86% |
| 8 | Kean University | $58,644 | $25,993 | $12,447 | 47% |
| 9 | William Paterson University of New Jersey | $58,108 | $25,000 | $18,745 | 44% |
| 10 | Georgian Court University | $56,472 | $26,894 | $19,285 | 54% |
| 11 | Saint Peter's University | $56,438 | $23,500 | $12,199 | 58% |
| 12 | Rowan University | $56,226 | $23,250 | $22,408 | 67% |
| 13 | New Jersey City University | $55,293 | $21,500 | $16,053 | 34% |
| 14 | Seton Hall University | $55,265 | $23,250 | $31,446 | 69% |
| 15 | Caldwell University | $54,225 | $27,000 | $24,691 | 57% |
| 16 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | $51,148 | $24,672 | $15,404 | 53% |
| 17 | Rider University | $50,173 | $27,000 | $24,792 | 61% |
1 more New Jersey college offers Criminal Justice but has 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 TCNJ, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About TCNJ
- Acceptance rate: 62% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 86% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $73,323
- Full cost breakdown · all 39 majors · overview
Related majors at TCNJ
- Anthropology—
TCNJ Criminal Justice questions
How much do TCNJ Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of The College of New Jersey earn a median $61,605 four years after graduating and $36,070 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do TCNJ Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of The College of New Jersey is $20,500, about 33% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is TCNJ a good school for Criminal Justice in New Jersey?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of The College of New Jersey earn $61,605 four years out, $3,497 above the median for the same major across 17 New Jersey colleges ($58,108) and $6,397 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does TCNJ rank for Criminal Justice in New Jersey?
Of 17 New Jersey colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, The College of New Jersey ranks 7th. The highest is Monmouth University at $67,842.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $69,160 in the Trenton-Princeton, NJ 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: “The College of New Jersey Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-college-of-new-jersey/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).