Criminal Justice and Corrections at Shenandoah University

Shenandoah's Criminal Justice program graduates earn significantly more than their peers nationally—$46,816 within a year of graduation puts them in the 95th percentile compared to the nearly 1,000 programs nationwide. That's impressive on its face, but the Virginia picture is more nuanced: this program sits right in the middle of the pack statewide (60th percentile), just behind Liberty and Regent but well ahead of most others. With a debt load of $25,810—slightly below both state and national medians—the financial picture looks manageable, with graduates earning about $1.81 for every dollar borrowed.

The main caveat here is sample size. With fewer than 30 recent graduates reporting data, these numbers could shift considerably with a larger cohort. That said, the earnings trajectory appears stable, with modest 4% growth from year one to year four, suggesting graduates secure reasonably steady positions rather than experiencing dramatic career progression early on.

For parents, this represents a solid but not exceptional investment within Virginia. Your child would likely earn more than criminal justice graduates nationwide while carrying reasonable debt, but they wouldn't necessarily have a financial advantage over peers from Virginia's other strong programs. If your student is committed to criminal justice and attracted to Shenandoah's campus, the numbers work—just recognize you're paying for mid-tier Virginia outcomes rather than breakthrough earning potential.