Criminal Justice and Corrections at Chicago State University

Chicago State's criminal justice graduates earn $35,419 in their first year—about $4,000 below the Illinois median and roughly $2,500 below the national average. Among Illinois criminal justice programs, this lands in the 40th percentile, with top in-state alternatives like Benedictine and Aurora producing graduates earning $10,000+ more annually. The earnings gap widens when you consider that over half of Chicago State students receive Pell grants, suggesting many come from lower-income backgrounds where maximizing earnings potential matters most.

The debt picture offers some relief: at $33,000, graduates carry more than typical for criminal justice majors, but the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 remains manageable—you're looking at less than one year's salary in loans. Earnings do grow 19% by year four to $42,025, which closes the gap with peers but doesn't eliminate it. That growth trajectory is solid, though it means starting salaries remain compressed.

For families weighing this program, the calculus depends heavily on alternatives. If Chicago State offers geographic convenience or significantly lower tuition than competitors, the earnings difference might be worth it. But if you're choosing between similar net costs across Illinois schools, those top-performing programs deliver substantially better financial outcomes from day one. The moderate sample size suggests enough graduates to trust the data, but this isn't a program that punches above its weight in the marketplace.