Criminal Justice and Corrections at Marshall University

Marshall's Criminal Justice program produces graduates earning $32,747 in their first year—about $5,000 below the national median and roughly $2,000 below West Virginia's typical outcome for this degree. While the program ranks at the state's 40th percentile, meaning it performs near the middle of West Virginia options, it falls to just the 17th percentile nationally. That gap becomes significant when you consider that graduates could earn nearly $10,000 more annually by attending American Public University System or $3,400 more at Fairmont State, both in-state alternatives.

The debt load of $25,873 is reasonable and tracks closely with both national and state averages. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79, graduates aren't facing crushing payments—think around $300 monthly on a standard repayment plan against a starting salary of roughly $2,700. Earnings do climb 18% to $38,737 by year four, which helps the financial picture but still leaves graduates below the national median.

For families prioritizing criminal justice careers in West Virginia, this program offers accessible admission and modest debt, but the earnings trajectory suggests exploring those higher-performing in-state options first. The difference in starting salary between Marshall and schools like Fairmont State could amount to $15,000-$20,000 over the first five years of a career—enough to meaningfully accelerate debt repayment or other financial goals.