Criminal Justice and Corrections at Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Central Methodist's Criminal Justice program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—landing at the 40th percentile among Missouri programs and 39th nationally. With graduates earning $36,223 initially and $38,392 four years out, you're looking at outcomes below both the state median ($36,879) and national average ($37,856). More concerning, Missouri offers significantly stronger alternatives: Park University graduates in this field earn $49,305, while Columbia College hits $46,195—about $10,000 more annually than Central Methodist.

The $26,000 debt load is exactly average for Missouri criminal justice programs, which creates a manageable but not impressive debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72. Your child would start about $10,000 behind their peers at top Missouri programs, a gap that compounds over years of salary growth and retirement contributions. The 6% earnings increase from year one to year four suggests modest career progression, but hardly enough to close that initial earnings gap.

If your child has strong Missouri ties and Central Methodist appeals for other reasons—campus culture, location, or specific faculty—this program won't derail their financial future. But purely from a return-on-investment perspective, other Missouri schools deliver substantially better outcomes in this field. The difference between $38,000 and $46,000 four years out translates to real money: about $650 monthly in pre-tax income.