University of Nevada-Las Vegas Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of University of Nevada-Las Vegas earn a median $57,556 four years after graduating ($37,639 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $20,484. That is $2,348 above the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 1st of 2 Nevada colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$57,556

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

College Scorecard field of study; 358 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$37,639

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$20,484

About 36% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$10,359 /yr

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

Sticker price $19,638. College Scorecard.

UNLV Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UNLV graduates$57,556

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

U.S. median (584 colleges)$55,208 (+$2,348)

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 UNLV'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$8,526$39,5611.9 years
$30–48k$8,537$39,6121.9 years
$48–75k$10,606$49,2122.3 years
$75–110k$13,513$62,7003.0 years
$110k+$15,905$73,7993.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.6 years, the average time graduates took (25% 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 ($57,556) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,007 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 UNLV, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UNLV

Related majors at UNLV

  • Public Administration$72,433
  • Security / Homeland Security—
  • Anthropology$40,630

UNLV Criminal Justice questions

How much do UNLV Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of University of Nevada-Las Vegas earn a median $57,556 four years after graduating and $37,639 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do UNLV Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of University of Nevada-Las Vegas is $20,484, about 36% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Where does UNLV rank for Criminal Justice in Nevada?

Of 2 Nevada colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, University of Nevada-Las Vegas ranks 1st, the highest.

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: “University of Nevada-Las Vegas Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-nevada-las-vegas/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).