Criminology at Niagara University

Niagara University's criminology program carries less debt than 95% of similar programs nationally, but that advantage doesn't fully offset the below-average starting earnings. At $36,781, first-year salaries trail the national median by about $700 and fall roughly $5,500 short of what graduates earn at the state's strongest program, University at Albany. Within New York, though, Niagara performs respectably—landing in the 60th percentile among state schools and earning just slightly below the state median of $35,249.

The 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, especially given that $27,000 debt load. Students here are graduating with notably less debt than criminology majors at SUNY Old Westbury or Hofstra, which matters for early financial stability. The caveat: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift significantly year to year. That small sample makes it harder to predict whether your student would land closer to these medians or encounter a different experience entirely.

For families prioritizing low debt over top-tier earnings, this represents a defensible choice among New York criminology programs. Just recognize that your graduate will likely start $4,000-6,000 behind peers at Albany or Old Westbury, and those earnings gaps can compound over time if career trajectories differ. If your student is considering law enforcement or corrections work where salaries standardize quickly, the lower debt matters more than the modest earnings gap.