Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of Maryland-College Park

Criminal justice programs in Maryland span a striking range—from $55,000+ at UMD Global Campus to the state median of roughly $41,000—and based on comparable programs, this UMD-College Park degree appears to land right at that median mark. For a flagship institution with highly selective admissions (45% acceptance rate, 1463 average SAT), this estimated first-year figure of $41,367 might surprise parents expecting outcomes closer to what the Global Campus system achieves in the same field. The estimated $26,764 in debt translates to a manageable 0.65 debt-to-earnings ratio, which keeps monthly payments reasonable, but the overall investment picture depends heavily on where graduates actually land in Maryland's criminal justice job market.

The challenge here is transparency: these estimates derive from peer programs because this specific degree produces too few graduates for the DOE to report outcomes publicly. That could signal limited enrollment or frequent switching to other majors—worth investigating directly with the university. What we know is that Maryland's criminal justice programs typically produce earnings just above the national benchmark ($37,856), so geography helps, but other Maryland schools are demonstrably placing graduates into higher-earning positions. If your child is set on this field at this campus, understand you're investing flagship tuition for what similar programs suggest will be middle-of-the-pack outcomes in a competitive state market.