Virginia Commonwealth University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median $58,792 four years after graduating ($38,495 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,250. That is $3,584 above the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 6th of 16 Virginia colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$58,792

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

College Scorecard field of study

Earnings, 1 year after
$38,495

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,250

About 40% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$23,433 /yr

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

Sticker price $38,954. College Scorecard.

Criminal Justice at Virginia colleges

Every Virginia 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
1Marymount University$73,058$25,000$29,13754%
2George Mason University$69,511$20,761$17,91568%
3Shenandoah University$63,290$25,810$30,29867%
4Liberty University$61,715$29,728$29,35765%
5Ferrum College$60,235$29,500$20,08232%
6Virginia Commonwealth University$58,792$23,250$23,43363%
7Roanoke College$58,040$27,000$24,50367%
8Radford University$56,996$25,000$14,57849%
9Bluefield University$56,811$24,250$25,57318%
10Longwood University$56,685$23,375$19,06661%
11Hampton University$53,602$27,000$25,31957%
12Averett University$52,318$29,703$22,92548%
13Virginia Wesleyan University$52,247$27,000$19,67642%
14University of Virginia's College at Wise$51,193$19,313$9,21047%
15Virginia State University$48,624$30,000$15,84039%
16Regent University$44,176$21,237$19,92357%

Careers for Criminal Justice graduates

Police officer

Richmond area$62,720
Virginia$65,870
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

Richmond area$77,060
Virginia$80,380
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

Richmond area$60,520
Virginia$61,330
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 VCU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About VCU

Related majors at VCU

VCU Criminal Justice questions

How much do VCU Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median $58,792 four years after graduating and $38,495 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do VCU Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University is $23,250, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Where does VCU rank for Criminal Justice in Virginia?

Of 16 Virginia colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Virginia Commonwealth University ranks 6th. The highest is Marymount University at $73,058.

What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?

A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $62,720 in the Richmond, VA 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: “Virginia Commonwealth University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).