Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of Houston-Downtown

University of Houston-Downtown graduates out-earn 75% of criminal justice programs nationally and command salaries well above both the national ($37,856) and Texas ($35,862) medians—impressive performance for a school that serves primarily first-generation and low-income students. With first-year earnings of $42,122, graduates start in a solid position, and the 21% earnings growth to $50,850 by year four shows clear career progression rather than stagnation.

The debt picture strengthens this program's case. At $22,757, graduates borrow about $3,000 less than typical Texas criminal justice students and nearly $3,500 less than the national average. That translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54—manageable by any reasonable standard. For parents worried about burden, their child would owe roughly half their first-year salary, a level that leaves room for living expenses while repaying loans.

The key tradeoff is straightforward: this isn't a top-tier program like Wayland Baptist's, which produces $53,000 earners, but it delivers consistently solid outcomes at a moderate cost. For students interested in law enforcement, corrections, or related fields who need to stay in Houston and manage debt carefully, this represents a practical path to middle-class earnings without the financial strain that plagues many criminal justice programs.