Criminal Justice and Corrections at Rasmussen University-North Dakota

Rasmussen's Criminal Justice program carries nearly $42,000 in debt—roughly 70% more than other North Dakota programs in this field, where the typical graduate owes around $25,000. While first-year earnings of $39,317 exceed the national median by about $1,500, that advantage disappears when you consider state context: graduates earn less than 60% of other ND criminal justice graduates, who typically make $41,071. More concerning, Minot State and UND graduates in this field start around $43,000-$46,000 with significantly less debt.

The debt load here ranks in the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with less debt—while earnings barely reach the national middle. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07 means graduates face more than a full year's salary in loans, and with earnings actually declining slightly by year four, that burden won't ease quickly. Nearly half of students here receive Pell grants, suggesting many come from families with limited financial cushion to absorb this debt.

For a North Dakota family, the math is straightforward: other in-state options deliver similar or better career outcomes with roughly half the debt burden. Unless this program offers unique scheduling flexibility or location advantages that other ND schools can't match, the financial tradeoff is difficult to justify.