Criminology at Missouri State University-Springfield

Missouri State's criminology program produces graduates who earn slightly below what they'd make at most other criminology programs—both nationally and within Missouri. With first-year earnings of $36,185, graduates land near the 40th percentile among Missouri schools and 41st percentile nationally, meaning roughly six in ten criminology programs deliver better starting salaries. The debt burden of $24,187 is manageable at a 0.67 ratio to first-year income, though it sits higher than typical for the field.

The program's 15% earnings growth over four years brings graduates to $41,726, which helps close the gap with peers. However, even after this improvement, graduates still trail those from University of Missouri-St. Louis by about $3,500 in year-four earnings. For families focused purely on return on investment, this isn't Missouri's strongest criminology option. That said, Missouri State's high admission rate and modest debt load mean the financial risk remains relatively contained—you're not betting heavily on a program that underperforms.

The practical takeaway: if your child is set on criminology and Missouri State for other reasons (location, campus fit, specific faculty), the debt won't crush them. But if maximizing early-career earnings matters most, look at Missouri's other criminology programs first. This is a safe but unremarkable choice in a competitive state market.