Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

UC-Cincinnati's Criminal Justice associate's program sits in an uncomfortable middle: it outperforms most programs nationally but underperforms in Ohio specifically. While $38,399 after graduation beats the $33,269 national median by 15%, it trails the Ohio median of $38,497 and falls well short of the state's top programs—several Ohio University campuses place graduates earning $44,000+. This matters because Ohio has 57 schools offering this credential, giving in-state students plenty of alternatives.

The debt load of $16,799 creates a manageable 0.44 debt-to-earnings ratio, and modest earnings growth to nearly $40,000 by year four suggests stable employment. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means a single atypical graduate could skew these numbers significantly, making them less reliable than data from larger programs.

For Ohio families, this program doesn't offer a compelling advantage over state competitors. If your child is set on UC's broader campus experience or specific connections in Cincinnati, the debt is reasonable. But purely as a return-on-investment play for a criminal justice associate's, other Ohio schools appear to deliver stronger outcomes without asking students to settle for below-state-median earnings.