ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Indiana University - Kokomo

IN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 43.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from Indiana University - Kokomo earn a median salary of $47,486 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,529. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.6 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

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

$36,156

Typical Career

$47,486

Top Performers

$59,135

Estimated break-even: 15.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$317

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,957. Most students can comfortably afford about a $317 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Indiana buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 41.5%
Educational Services 13.9%
Manufacturing 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

$52,529

Nominal: $47,486 in Indiana (COL 90.4% of national avg) · 10.6% 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).

15.6 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 $28,289 $37,295 $46,435
5 Years After Graduation $36,156 $47,486 $59,135
10 Years After Graduation $41,297 $52,793 $69,727

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 $47,486 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IN, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.4% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,486 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9040) = $52,529 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Criminal Justice and Corrections program at Indiana University - Kokomo experience a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $37,295, which rises to $47,486 after five years and reaches $52,793 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at approximately $52,528.76, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook improves significantly.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (41.5%), Educational Services (13.9%), and Manufacturing (8.7%), reflecting a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high school-only path is approximately 15.6 years, suggesting that while the investment in education may take time to pay off, the potential for increased earnings and job stability in these sectors can provide a favorable return on investment over the long term.

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 Indiana University - Kokomo 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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