ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Concordia University - Saint Paul

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 43.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from Concordia University - Saint Paul earn a median salary of $67,000 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $71,201. The degree typically pays for itself in 6.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$47,888

Typical Career

$67,000

Top Performers

$89,221

Estimated break-even: 6.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$447

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,583. Most students can comfortably afford about a $447 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.7x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.9x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.6%
Educational Services 14.6%
Public Administration 8.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$71,201

Nominal: $67,000 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

6.8 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $35,340 $49,902 $77,273
5 Years After Graduation $47,888 $67,000 $89,221
10 Years After Graduation $59,402 $81,357 $105,020

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $67,000 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $67,000 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $71,201 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates in Criminal Justice and Corrections from Concordia University - Saint Paul experience a promising earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $49,902, increasing to $67,000 after five years and reaching $81,357 after a decade. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $71,200.85, indicating that graduates are well-positioned financially, particularly in a state with a cost of living index of 0.941 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (20.6%), Educational Services (14.6%), and Public Administration (8.7%), reflecting a diverse range of career opportunities. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 6.8 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in this field appears favorable. Overall, students can expect a solid career foundation with competitive earnings and a variety of employment options in relevant sectors.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Criminal Justice and Corrections degree at Concordia University - Saint Paul stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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