Criminology at Indiana State University

Indiana State's criminology program outperforms both state and national benchmarks while keeping debt manageable. Graduates earn $39,769 in their first year—ranking in the 69th percentile nationally and 60th percentile within Indiana. That puts them roughly $4,500 ahead of the typical Indiana criminology grad and $2,300 above the national median. The program serves a largely middle-class student body (39% on Pell grants) and maintains selective standards despite its 92% admission rate.

The financial picture looks reasonable: graduates carry $24,970 in debt, slightly below both state and national averages, with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. That means the typical graduate's debt equals about eight months of first-year salary—a workable starting point for most criminal justice careers. Earnings grow steadily to $45,272 by year four, a 14% increase that suggests graduates are moving into more senior positions rather than plateauing early.

For families considering criminology programs in Indiana, this represents solid value. You're getting above-average outcomes at below-average debt, which matters in a field where public sector salaries often limit earning potential. The robust sample size (100+ graduates) means these numbers reflect consistent outcomes, not outliers.