Bachelor's · Cedar Falls, Iowa
Is Criminology at University of Northern Iowa worth it?
Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 5.6 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $50,000
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $59,069
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $13,514
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $68k (likely $68k – $91k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $19k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 5.6 years (likely 4.4–7.8)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- −$65k (likely −$143k – $718)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $174k (likely $46k – $344k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 69%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Criminology at other schools
📈 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward business & money majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Microeconomics
- AP Macroeconomics
- AP Statistics
- AP Precalculus or AP Calculus AB
IB Higher Level
- Business Management HL
- Economics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at University of Northern Iowa
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$89,305
- Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's)$87,580
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$87,003
- Construction Management (Bachelor's)$85,688
- Real Estate (Bachelor's)$83,592
- Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's)$82,641
- Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's)$81,172
- Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's)$81,109
- Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's)$76,329
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's)$74,838
- Marketing (Bachelor's)$72,757
- Economics (Bachelor's)$71,905
Criminology at other schools in Iowa
- University of Iowa$60,947
- Upper Iowa University$56,767