Criminal Justice · American Public University System
How much do American Public University System Criminal Justice graduates earn?
American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice earned a median $69,546 four years after graduating, 26% above the $55,378 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $57,409; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,888 in federal loans at this college (about $221 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $19,000 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level).
- Median earnings, 4 years after:
- $69,546
- National median, same program:
- $55,378
- Federal debt borrowed at this college (median):
- $20,888
- Monthly payment, 10-year plan:
- $221
American Public University System, bachelor's in Criminal Justice. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20; total including other colleges attended $19,000. College Scorecard, 10 June 2026.
Quick answers
- What do Criminal Justice graduates of American Public University System earn?
- American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice earned a median $69,546 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How much federal debt do Criminal Justice graduates of American Public University System have?
- Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,888 in federal loans at American Public University System (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was $19,000.
- How does American Public University System compare with the national median for Criminal Justice?
- $69,546 is 26% above the $55,378 national median for bachelor's programs in the same field (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- How does American Public University System compare with other West Virginia Criminal Justice programs?
- It is 39% above the $50,063 earned by graduates of the typical West Virginia bachelor's program in the field (5 programs, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23).
- Is a Criminal Justice degree from American Public University System worth it?
- Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts the figures side by side: American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice earned a median $69,546 four years after graduating (College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23), and those who borrowed took out a median $20,888 in federal loans there, about $221 a month on a 10-year plan, roughly 4% of the median graduate's monthly earnings before tax (College Scorecard, graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Criminal Justice at American Public University System, by credential
4 credential levels have federal figures, largest graduating classes first. Federal program group: Criminal Justice and Corrections (CIP 43.01), which includes its related specialties.
| Credential | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | vs national | Debt borrowed at this college | Total debt incl. other colleges | Payment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 1,203 | $57,409 | $69,546 | +26% | $20,888 | $19,000 | $221/mo |
| Master's | 356 | $74,466 | $89,135 | +34% | $37,330 | — | $425/mo |
| Associate's | 246 | $46,978 | $55,726 | +19% | $24,003 | $23,486 | $254/mo |
| Graduate certificate | 40 | $69,195 | — | — | $34,030 | — | $387/mo |
The one-year and four-year figures describe different graduating classes (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21 and 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23) in different dollars, so the gap between them is not one class's pay growth. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured.
What the two debt figures mean
Federal debt borrowed at this college: the median of the federal loans (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS) that graduates who borrowed took out at this college.
Total federal debt, including other colleges attended: the same graduates' federal loans from every college they attended, counting only loans at the same level as this credential (undergraduate loans for an undergraduate credential, graduate loans for a graduate one).
Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN. Monthly payment is for the debt borrowed at this college. Source: College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation (September 2025), "Cumulative loan debt".
Cite this data
- Statistic
- American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice earned a median $69,546 four years after graduating, against a national median of $55,378 for the same program and credential.
- Data period
- Graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19 who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled; earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars (370 graduates measured).
- Source
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data (release of 10 June 2026)
- Page
- https://campuspin.com/schools/american-public-university-system/programs/criminal-justice
- Suggested citation
- CampusPin (2026). American Public University System Criminal Justice: graduate earnings and debt. Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study, 10 June 2026. https://campuspin.com/schools/american-public-university-system/programs/criminal-justice
Or paste these figures into your page as a small table (departments, admissions, counselors)
Plain HTML with no script and no tracking: each credential's figure with its period and source, and one link back to this page.
How does American Public University System compare with other West Virginia Criminal Justice programs?
Across the 5 West Virginia bachelor's programs in Criminal Justice with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $50,063; American Public University System's $69,546 is 39% above that.
| College (bachelor's) | Earnings, 4 yrs after | 1 yr after (later class) | Debt borrowed at this college |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Public University System (this college) | $69,546 | $57,409 | $20,888 |
| Salem University | $53,027 | $25,665 | $22,177 |
| West Virginia State University | $50,063 | $39,056 | $22,532 |
| Marshall University | $49,559 | $32,747 | $24,899 |
| Fairmont State University | $49,055 | $36,179 | $21,198 |
All 5 West Virginia programs, ordered by one federal measure (median earnings four years after graduating), not a ranking of program quality. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed.
Every Criminal Justice program in West Virginia. Compare Criminal Justice programs and share the result
What the new federal loan limits mean for this graduate program
For loans first disbursed on or after 1 July 2026, new graduate borrowers can take at most $20,500 a year and $100,000 in total in federal loans, or $50,000 and $200,000 in programs the Department treats as professional (Federal Student Aid, May 2026). American Public University System's master's graduates in Criminal Justice borrowed a median $37,330 under the old rules. Which graduate programs' typical debt is over the new caps.
Questions about Criminal Justice at American Public University System
- How much do American Public University System Criminal Justice graduates earn?
- American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice earned a median $69,546 four years after graduating, 26% above the $55,378 national median for the same program (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). One year after graduating, a later class (2018-20 graduates, measured 2020-21) earned a median $57,409; the two figures describe different graduates, not one class's growth. Graduates who borrowed took out a median $20,888 in federal loans at this college (about $221 a month on a 10-year plan), and had $19,000 in total federal debt including other colleges attended (same degree level).
- How much student debt do American Public University System Criminal Justice graduates have?
- American Public University System's bachelor's graduates in Criminal Justice who borrowed took out a median $20,888 in federal loans at American Public University System, about $221 a month on a standard 10-year plan (graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20, College Scorecard). Counting federal loans from every college they attended at the same degree level, their total was a median $19,000; the difference is loans taken at earlier colleges, which matters most for transfer and RN-to-BSN students. Neither figure includes Parent PLUS loans, private loans or accrued interest. The two differ most for transfer students and for degree-completion programs such as RN-to-BSN.
- How does American Public University System's Criminal Justice program compare with others in West Virginia?
- Across the 5 West Virginia bachelor's programs in Criminal Justice with a federal earnings figure, the typical program's graduates earned $50,063; American Public University System's $69,546 is 39% above that.
- Which Criminal Justice degree at American Public University System pays more?
- Median earnings four years after graduating, by credential: bachelor's $69,546; master's $89,135; associate's $55,726 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). Each figure describes a different group of graduates, so the gap reflects who enrolls and the jobs each credential leads to, not only the credential.
Keep going
- American Public University System: cost, admissions and every program
- Criminal Justice major guide: what it pays nationally
- Same degree, different paycheck: how much the college matters
- What does Criminal Justice pay at other colleges?
Jobs Criminal Justice graduates often go into
From the Criminal Justicemajor guide. Graduates spread across many jobs; these pay figures are for everyone in the job, not for this program's graduates.
Other programs at American Public University System with graduate earnings
Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Earnings reflect who enrolls, where graduates live and the jobs they take, as well as the program itself. Download every program (CSV).
Data sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the Department of Education's College Scorecard field-of-study file, matched to American Public University System by its federal UNITID.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
Program-level median earnings one and four years after completing, and median federal loan debt at completion, by institution, 4-digit CIP field and credential level.
College Scorecard, Field of Study data documentation
How the field-of-study cohorts are built, which graduates are counted, and how small cells are suppressed and perturbed for privacy.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (10 June 2026). American Public University System Criminal Justice: graduate earnings and debt. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/american-public-university-system/programs/criminal-justice