Criminal Justice and Corrections at Rhode Island College

Rhode Island College graduates with criminal justice degrees start modestly at $38,163, but their trajectory tells a more promising story—earnings jump 37% to reach $52,198 by year four. That kind of growth is significant in a field where many programs plateau early. The starting salary essentially matches the national median, though it trails other Rhode Island programs like Roger Williams ($45,356). More concerning is the 40th percentile ranking among state programs, suggesting competitors are securing better entry positions for their graduates.

The debt picture offers relief: $21,625 is well below both the national median ($26,130) and state average ($27,000) for criminal justice programs. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57, graduates owe roughly half their first-year salary—manageable territory that gets easier as earnings climb. Given that 41% of students receive Pell grants, this relatively light debt load matters for the working-class families this college serves.

The real question is whether that strong four-year earnings growth reflects genuine career advancement or simply the time it takes graduates to secure stable law enforcement or corrections positions. Either way, if your child can navigate the slower start and capitalize on that upward trend, the combination of reasonable debt and solid mid-career earnings makes this a defensible choice—just don't expect the immediate payoff that top state programs deliver.