Criminal Justice and Corrections at Rasmussen University-Wisconsin

Rasmussen's Criminal Justice program charges students nearly $42,000 in debt—61% more than the Wisconsin median—while delivering earnings that fall short of what most Wisconsin graduates in this field earn. At $39,317 in the first year, graduates earn about $2,200 less than the state median, landing this program in just the 40th percentile among Wisconsin criminal justice programs. That debt load ranks in the bottom 5% nationally, meaning 95% of criminal justice programs burden students with less debt.

The financial squeeze becomes clearer when you look at the debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.07. Graduates owe more than they earn in their first year, a warning sign in a field where starting salaries typically hover in the upper $30,000s to low $40,000s. The flat earnings trajectory—essentially no growth from year one to year four—compounds the problem. Meanwhile, Wisconsin has multiple programs producing graduates who earn $65,000+ annually with comparable debt loads, and even UW-Parkside delivers similar outcomes at likely lower cost.

For families considering this program, the math doesn't work. You're taking on above-average debt for below-average Wisconsin outcomes in a field where earnings typically plateau early. If criminal justice is the goal, exploring UW system options or understanding why some Wisconsin programs achieve dramatically better results would be worth the effort before committing to this debt level.