Criminal Justice and Corrections at Strayer University-Virginia

Strayer University-Virginia's criminal justice program comes with a significant price tag that demands careful consideration. While graduates earn $43,405 in their first year—well above the national median of $37,856 and ranking in the 81st percentile nationally—they're carrying $56,937 in debt, more than double the typical burden for this field. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.31, meaning graduates owe more than a full year's salary.

The Virginia context reveals additional concerns. Despite strong national performance, this program ranks only in the 60th percentile among Virginia schools, trailing programs at Liberty ($48,855), Shenandoah ($46,816), and several others that likely come with lower debt loads. The debt burden here is roughly double Virginia's median of $27,000 for criminal justice programs, making this one of the most expensive paths to this career in the state.

The 17% earnings growth to $50,636 by year four helps somewhat, but graduates will still be managing substantial monthly loan payments early in their careers. Criminal justice careers often involve public service roles with structured pay scales, making the high debt particularly challenging. Unless your child has compelling reasons to choose Strayer specifically, Virginia offers multiple criminal justice programs with better debt-to-earnings profiles that would provide similar career opportunities with far less financial stress.