Criminal Justice and Corrections at Salem State University

Salem State's Criminal Justice program produces earnings well above the national average—$44,812 in the first year versus $37,856 nationally—placing it in the 89th percentile nationwide. That's impressive for a program at a school with a 96% admission rate. The debt load of $26,220 is essentially average for the field, creating a favorable 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio that means graduates earn their debt back in under eight months of work.

The story gets more nuanced at the state level. Among Massachusetts' 27 criminal justice programs, Salem State sits at the 60th percentile—solid but not exceptional. Graduates here earn about $2,500 more than the state median in their first year, but they're still making $6,500 less than Northeastern grads. The earnings trajectory is encouraging though, with 16% growth to nearly $52,000 by year four, suggesting graduates are finding decent career progression in law enforcement or corrections.

For Massachusetts families, this represents reasonable value. Your child graduates with manageable debt and earns meaningfully more than criminal justice grads nationally, even if they're not quite matching the state's elite programs. Given the open-door admission policy and the fact that 35% of students receive Pell grants, Salem State is doing well by a broad range of students—not just the most academically prepared.