Criminal Justice and Corrections at Rasmussen University-Minnesota

At $39,317 in starting earnings, Rasmussen's criminal justice program performs modestly above the national median but falls significantly short within Minnesota—landing in just the 25th percentile among the state's 19 programs. That's concerning context: Minnesota criminal justice graduates typically earn $49,019, nearly $10,000 more than what Rasmussen grads see. When top Minnesota programs like Metropolitan State ($52,125) and Bemidji State ($49,617) are public institutions likely offering lower tuition, the gap becomes harder to justify. The program's earnings also decline slightly by year four rather than growing, suggesting limited career advancement.

The debt picture compounds these concerns. At $42,037, graduates carry 61% more debt than the national median and 50% more than the Minnesota median for this field. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07, graduates owe more than they'll earn in their first year—a tight squeeze for entry-level criminal justice work. Given that 51% of Rasmussen students receive Pell grants, many families here can't easily absorb that burden.

For Minnesota families specifically, this program underdelivers on the earnings side while overcharging on the debt side. Unless there are compelling personal circumstances requiring Rasmussen's flexible format, the state's public universities offer significantly better financial outcomes in this field.