U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 38 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 49% 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 $23,786. College Scorecard.
UNA 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 UNA'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 | $9,741 | $43,542 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $10,127 | $45,268 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $11,665 | $52,143 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $13,903 | $62,146 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $14,866 | $66,451 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (33% 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 ($48,913) minus $31,484 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,429 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 UNA, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UNA
- Acceptance rate: 87% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 55% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $45,415
- Full cost breakdown · all 46 majors · overview
UNA Criminal Justice questions
How much do UNA Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of University of North Alabama earn a median $48,913 four years after graduating and $31,595 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do UNA Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of University of North Alabama is $24,125, about 49% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is UNA a good school for Criminal Justice in Alabama?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of University of North Alabama earn $48,913 four years out, $2,179 below the median for the same major across 12 Alabama colleges ($51,092) and $6,295 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UNA rank for Criminal Justice in Alabama?
Of 12 Alabama colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, University of North Alabama ranks 8th; among the 11 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 7th. 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 $56,010 in the Florence-Muscle Shoals, 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: “University of North Alabama Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-north-alabama/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).