Criminology at Cabrini University

The small sample size here demands caution, but Cabrini's criminology numbers tell a story of delayed payoff that might frustrate families expecting quicker returns. That $33,632 starting salary lands well below both Pennsylvania's median ($37,737) and the national average, placing graduates at the 40th percentile statewide—meaning 60% of Pennsylvania criminology programs launch students into better-paying positions right away.

The $27,000 debt load looks reasonable on paper and matches the state median, yielding a manageable 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio. What partially redeems this program is the substantial earnings jump to $52,060 by year four—a 55% increase that vaults graduates well past their peers elsewhere. However, with fewer than 30 graduates in the dataset, these trajectories may not be reliable predictors. One successful cohort or a few outlier careers could significantly skew these figures.

For families considering this investment, the question becomes whether your child can weather those lean early years while debt payments come due. If they're committed to criminal justice careers that reward experience heavily, the long-term trajectory looks promising. But if they need immediate financial stability or might pivot to other fields, those first-year earnings create a tighter margin for error than you'd find at Saint Joseph's or Drexel, where graduates start $10,000 higher.