U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 610 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 23% 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 $16,830. College Scorecard.
UTRGV 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 UTRGV'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 | $3,785 | $17,108 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $3,877 | $17,524 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $5,665 | $25,606 | 1.6 years |
| $75–110k | $7,972 | $36,033 | 2.2 years |
| $110k+ | $13,782 | $62,295 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (29% 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 ($49,979) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,463 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 Texas colleges
Every Texas 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 | Saint Edward's University | $66,986 | $24,949 | $25,578 | 63% |
| 2 | Texas Woman's University | $60,708 | $29,250 | $11,963 | 49% |
| 3 | Stephen F Austin State University | $58,606 | $23,250 | $14,260 | 53% |
| 4 | West Texas A & M University | $58,011 | $24,365 | $19,487 | 55% |
| 5 | Wayland Baptist University | $57,805 | $25,000 | $20,590 | 19% |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Arlington | $57,210 | $19,908 | $13,951 | 54% |
| 7 | Texas Christian University | $56,791 | $20,429 | $36,660 | 86% |
| 8 | Angelo State University | $54,853 | $22,000 | $15,091 | 44% |
| 9 | Lamar University | $54,509 | $31,000 | $9,366 | 37% |
| 10 | University of the Incarnate Word | $54,097 | $28,901 | $22,775 | 51% |
| 11 | Tarleton State University | $53,821 | $23,250 | $20,783 | 48% |
| 12 | University of Houston-Downtown | $53,589 | $22,757 | $10,542 | 33% |
| 13 | Our Lady of the Lake University | $53,505 | $26,625 | $16,442 | 46% |
| 14 | University of North Texas | $53,453 | $20,538 | $15,649 | 61% |
| 15 | Texas State University | $52,447 | $19,500 | $16,805 | 55% |
| 16 | Sam Houston State University | $51,748 | $23,218 | $16,404 | 55% |
| 17 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | $51,034 | $21,875 | $10,836 | 53% |
| 18 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | $50,900 | — | $26,106 | 49% |
| 19 | Midwestern State University | $50,888 | $25,668 | $11,656 | 43% |
| 20 | University of Houston-Victoria | $50,809 | $27,000 | $8,109 | 26% |
| 21 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $49,979 | $11,644 | $4,831 | 51% |
| 22 | Texas Wesleyan University | $49,909 | $26,000 | $24,066 | 32% |
| 23 | Texas A&M University-Kingsville | $49,907 | $22,906 | $12,090 | 42% |
| 24 | Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi | $49,859 | $23,974 | $15,225 | 40% |
| 25 | University of North Texas at Dallas | $49,534 | — | $6,420 | 42% |
| 26 | Hardin-Simmons University | $49,389 | $28,000 | $19,555 | 46% |
| 27 | Texas A & M International University | $48,833 | $15,500 | $3,637 | 46% |
| 28 | Prairie View A & M University | $47,743 | $26,750 | $13,570 | 43% |
| 29 | The University of Texas at El Paso | $47,681 | $19,381 | $9,403 | 50% |
| 30 | St. Mary's University | $46,782 | $27,000 | $21,145 | 59% |
| 31 | East Texas A&M University | $46,596 | $29,723 | $11,841 | 43% |
| 32 | Texas Southern University | $45,961 | $36,250 | $16,590 | 22% |
| 33 | The University of Texas at Tyler | $44,607 | $20,212 | $13,323 | 54% |
| 34 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas | $43,901 | $24,750 | $1,300 | — |
| 35 | Texas College | $43,156 | $39,423 | $10,958 | 14% |
| 36 | Nelson University | $43,110 | — | $21,662 | 42% |
| 37 | Texas A&M University-Texarkana | $42,676 | $20,500 | $12,997 | 30% |
| 38 | Sul Ross State University | $42,239 | $18,999 | $13,286 | 30% |
| 39 | Wiley University | $35,424 | $37,457 | $7,092 | 24% |
14 more Texas 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 UTRGV, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UTRGV
- Acceptance rate: 94% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $49,620
- Full cost breakdown · all 66 majors · overview
Related majors at UTRGV
- Public Administration—
- Anthropology$34,505
UTRGV Criminal Justice questions
How much do UTRGV Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn a median $49,979 four years after graduating and $32,899 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do UTRGV Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $11,644, about 23% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is UTRGV a good school for Criminal Justice in Texas?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn $49,979 four years out, $830 below the median for the same major across 39 Texas colleges ($50,809) and $5,229 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UTRGV rank for Criminal Justice in Texas?
Of 39 Texas colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranks 21st. The highest is Saint Edward's University at $66,986.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $58,360 in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 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 Texas Rio Grande Valley Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).