Criminal Justice and Corrections at Kent State University at Tuscarawas

Kent State Tuscarawas graduates start at $33,980—below both the state median ($36,612) and national average ($37,856) for criminal justice programs. While the program sits at the 40th percentile among Ohio's 46 criminal justice programs, that still means more than half of comparable in-state options deliver stronger outcomes. The debt load of $25,937 is reasonable, resulting in a manageable 0.76 debt-to-earnings ratio, but the lower starting salary makes those first few years tighter financially than they would be at peer programs.

The 21% earnings growth to $41,097 by year four shows steady career progression, eventually pulling graduates close to state and national benchmarks. However, the gap between this program and Ohio's top performers is striking—Herzing University-Akron graduates earn nearly double at $67,229, while even mid-tier options like Baldwin Wallace and Ashland start their graduates around $42,000. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates confirms these patterns are reliable, not statistical noise.

For families seeking an affordable path into criminal justice careers, this program won't burden students with excessive debt. But parents should recognize they're paying for credentials that place graduates in the bottom half of Ohio's criminal justice market. If your child is set on this field and cost is the primary concern, the numbers work—just expect a slower financial start than most Ohio programs would provide.