U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 178 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 43% 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 $33,382. College Scorecard.
The University of Alabama 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 The University of Alabama'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 | $19,169 | $81,852 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $19,884 | $84,905 | 3.2 years |
| $48–75k | $22,258 | $95,042 | 3.6 years |
| $75–110k | $25,658 | $109,560 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $26,729 | $114,133 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($57,796) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,312 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 Alabama colleges
Every Alabama 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 | Herzing University-Birminghammostly 2-year | $69,601 | $28,399 | $19,651 | 13% |
| 2 | Faulkner University | $60,384 | $28,250 | $22,085 | 37% |
| 3 | The University of Alabama | $57,796 | $25,000 | $22,420 | 73% |
| 4 | Troy University | $56,317 | $25,000 | $16,527 | 50% |
| 5 | University of Alabama at Birmingham | $51,643 | $27,307 | $18,749 | 64% |
| 6 | Auburn University at Montgomery | $51,363 | $25,635 | $13,224 | 33% |
| 7 | University of South Alabama | $50,822 | $29,026 | $17,648 | 53% |
| 8 | University of North Alabama | $48,913 | $24,125 | $12,170 | 55% |
| 9 | Alabama A & M University | $48,912 | $32,500 | $17,621 | 24% |
| 10 | Athens State University | $47,683 | — | — | — |
| 11 | Jacksonville State University | $46,156 | $27,192 | $14,279 | 55% |
| 12 | Alabama State University | $45,173 | $32,261 | $20,435 | 30% |
5 more Alabama 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 The University of Alabama, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About The University of Alabama
- Acceptance rate: 77% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 73% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $59,221
- Full cost breakdown · all 77 majors · overview
Related majors at The University of Alabama
- Criminology—
- Anthropology$35,701
The University of Alabama Criminal Justice questions
How much do The University of Alabama Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Alabama earn a median $57,796 four years after graduating and $34,194 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do The University of Alabama Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Alabama is $25,000, about 43% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is The University of Alabama a good school for Criminal Justice in Alabama?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Alabama earn $57,796 four years out, $6,704 above the median for the same major across 12 Alabama colleges ($51,092) and $2,588 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does The University of Alabama rank for Criminal Justice in Alabama?
Of 12 Alabama colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, The University of Alabama ranks 3rd; among the 11 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 2nd. The highest is Herzing University-Birmingham at $69,601.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $59,670 in the Tuscaloosa, AL 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 University of Alabama Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-alabama/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).