Western Oregon University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of Western Oregon University earn a median $60,363 four years after graduating ($40,289 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $24,000. That is $5,155 above the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 1st of 3 Oregon colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$60,363

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

College Scorecard field of study; 123 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$40,289

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$24,000

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

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,237 /yr

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

Sticker price $25,062. College Scorecard.

Western Oregon University Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Western Oregon University graduates$60,363
Oregon median (3 colleges)$59,008 (+$1,355)
U.S. median (584 colleges)$55,208 (+$5,155)

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 Western Oregon University'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$15,575$68,2192.9 years
$30–48k$14,585$63,8822.7 years
$48–75k$16,151$70,7413.0 years
$75–110k$17,974$78,7263.3 years
$110k+$20,243$88,6643.7 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (31% 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 ($60,363) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,814 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 Oregon colleges

Every Oregon 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
1Western Oregon University$60,363$24,000$17,23747%
2Southern Oregon University$59,008$22,000$16,73243%
3Portland State University$58,109$26,641$9,55253%

4 more Oregon colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Criminal Justice graduates

Police officer

Salem area$84,320
Oregon$88,140
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

Salem area$85,150
Oregon$82,990
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

Salem area$64,700
Oregon$64,130
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 Western Oregon University, by income

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

College Scorecard

About Western Oregon University

Related majors at Western Oregon University

  • Fire Protection—
  • Anthropology—

Western Oregon University Criminal Justice questions

How much do Western Oregon University Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of Western Oregon University earn a median $60,363 four years after graduating and $40,289 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do Western Oregon University Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Western Oregon University is $24,000, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is Western Oregon University a good school for Criminal Justice in Oregon?

On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Western Oregon University earn $60,363 four years out, $1,355 above the median for the same major across 3 Oregon colleges ($59,008) and $5,155 above the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Western Oregon University rank for Criminal Justice in Oregon?

Of 3 Oregon colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Western Oregon University ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?

A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $84,320 in the Salem, OR 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: “Western Oregon University Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-oregon-university/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).