Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of Akron Main Campus

The University of Akron's Criminal Justice associate's program operates in an uncomfortable middle ground: it beats the national average but lags behind most Ohio programs. While the $35,094 starting salary exceeds what the typical graduate earns nationally ($33,269), it falls well short of Ohio's median of $38,497. Among 57 programs in the state, this ranks in just the 40th percentile—meaning 60% of Ohio criminal justice grads earn more right out of the gate.

The debt load of $15,625 is reasonable with a ratio of 0.45, suggesting graduates can manage payments on these salaries. Earnings do grow to $38,562 by year four, which is positive movement but still doesn't catch up to what many Ohio students earn in year one at programs like North Central State College or the various Ohio University campuses, where starting salaries exceed $44,000. For Ohio families who could access these stronger state options, the comparison matters.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. If your child is set on this field and Akron offers other advantages—proximity to home, specific law enforcement connections—it's serviceable. But purely on earnings potential, other Ohio programs deliver more value, and that gap is worth investigating before committing.