# Iowa State University: Criminal Justice (bachelor's)

Ames, IA. IPEDS 153603, CIP 43.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/iowa-state-university/majors/criminal-justice

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $41,624
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $61,166 (U.S. median for this major: $55,208 across 584 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,250 (U.S. median $26,000)
- Rank in IA: 2 of 8 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IA median for this major (8 colleges, $57,092): +$4,074
- Versus the U.S. median: +$5,958

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.32 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $61,166 minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,582 | $45,714 | 1.9 years |
| 30-48k | $11,506 | $49,706 | 2.0 years |
| 48-75k | $15,463 | $66,800 | 2.7 years |
| 75-110k | $19,605 | $84,694 | 3.5 years |
| 110k+ | $22,496 | $97,183 | 4.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Criminal Justice at IA colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Ambrose University | $61,988 | not reported | $24,691 | 61% |
| Iowa State University | $61,166 | $23,250 | $18,589 | 75% |
| Loras College | $60,411 | $27,000 | $20,716 | 68% |
| Simpson College | $57,279 | $27,000 | $21,936 | 63% |
| Grand View University | $56,906 | $26,485 | $21,774 | 54% |
| Buena Vista University | $53,736 | $27,000 | $18,846 | 62% |
| University of Dubuque | $52,578 | $27,000 | $23,386 | 40% |
| Mount Mercy University | $46,517 | $25,500 | $20,168 | 58% |

## Careers
- Police officer (SOC 33-3051): median wage $73,840 Ames, IA, $74,470 IA, $76,210 U.S.; U.S. jobs 3.5% by 2035
- Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041): median wage $80,370 Ames, IA, $75,620 IA, $80,730 U.S.; U.S. jobs 3.8% by 2035
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers (SOC 21-1021): median wage $46,370 Ames, IA, $52,250 IA, $59,550 U.S.; U.S. jobs 4.4% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).