Criminal Justice and Corrections at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus

Fairleigh Dickinson's Criminal Justice program starts slow but accelerates hard—first-year earnings of $33,874 trail both national and New Jersey medians, but four years out graduates reach $47,301, a 40% jump that outpaces most peer programs. This trajectory matters more than the weak start, though parents should understand their graduate will likely spend those first few years in entry-level positions at below-market compensation before career momentum builds.

The debt picture at $24,672 is reasonable and matches New Jersey's median for this field, creating a manageable 0.73 ratio to first-year earnings. Within New Jersey, this program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—40th percentile—performing behind schools like Strayer ($43,405) and Kean ($39,408) but avoiding the bottom tier. The bigger concern is the national comparison, where this program ranks in just the 23rd percentile, suggesting geography and regional job markets may be working against these graduates.

For a student committed to criminal justice work in the New Jersey area, the strong earnings growth indicates this degree can lead somewhere meaningful, particularly if they're willing to be patient through the early career phase. But families should recognize they're paying for a credential that delivers middle-of-the-road outcomes in an already moderate-paying field.