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Criminal Justice at Northcentral Technical College

Wausau, WI · Public · Associate Degree · Criminal Justice and Corrections

with a smaller student body of 3,479 in Wausau, WI.

Program Analysis

Northcentral Technical College's Criminal Justice program produces graduates earning $39,421/yr — within striking distance of the $39,484 national average for this trade.

With a 65.9x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 21% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Criminal Justice career paths face changes, but the trade's physical demands provide a buffer.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $8,000 in median debt clears fast against $39,421 in annual earnings.

A #156 ranking among 469 Criminal Justice programs places Northcentral Technical College in the middle-to-upper range. Solid, not exceptional.

A 27% earnings increase from $39,421 to $49,985 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.

The 17 apprenticeship pathways connected to Criminal Justice reflect strong industry infrastructure for this trade. Apprenticeships typically lead to journeyman-level wages.

75 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
70
Low End
75
Score
77
High End
Earnings $39,421/yr (-0% vs median)
AI-Proof Resilient (64% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (480,600 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$522K
6.1% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
67.7x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
20 of 20
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$7,722
Out-of-state: $11,230
Median Debt at Graduation
$8,000
2.4 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$49,985
27% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Criminal Justice graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Managers, all other $136,550 +4.5% 53%
First-line supervisors of police and detectives $105,980 +2.9% 67%
Detectives and criminal investigators $93,580 -0.7% 47%
Managers, all other
$136,550
+4.5% growth 53% AI-proof
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
$105,980
+2.9% growth 67% AI-proof
Detectives and criminal investigators
$93,580
-0.7% growth 47% AI-proof

View all 20 career paths with full salary data →

Criminal Justice Career Guide

Criminal Justice opens doors to multiple career tracks. Our pillar guide covers every mapped occupation with salary data and AI resilience ratings.

Read the full Criminal Justice career guide →

Compare & Explore

Criminal Justice Overview

View all 469 schools offering Criminal Justice →

Criminal Justice at Other Schools

Santa Rosa Junior College ($111,649) San Bernardino Valley College ($94,285) San Diego Miramar College ($91,647) Monroe Community College ($85,061) Moreno Valley College ($81,339) Gateway Technical College ($73,818) Butte College ($73,170) Red Rocks Community College ($72,583)

Other Majors at Northcentral Technical College

Nursing ($63,958) Business Administration ($60,405) Medical Assisting ($53,523) Drafting & Design Technology ($53,105) Dental Assisting ($48,083) Precision Metalworking ($47,718) Electromechanical Technology ($47,684) Architectural Engineering Technology ($44,840)

Trade Certificate vs. Bachelor's Degree

Compare Criminal Justice degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

Weigh shorter time-to-career against higher earning ceilings. The numbers tell the story.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Northcentral Technical College's Criminal Justice program score?
A score of 75/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Northcentral Technical College's Criminal Justice graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
How affordable is Criminal Justice at Northcentral Technical College?
Median debt of just $8,000 against $39,421/yr in starting salary means graduates can clear their loans in under 2 months. This is one of the more affordable paths in our dataset.
Can I learn Criminal Justice through an apprenticeship instead of Northcentral Technical College?
There are 17 registered apprenticeships connected to Criminal Justice occupations, such as Correction Officer and Crime Scene Technician. The earn-while-you-learn model means no tuition debt and immediate income, though the training period is typically longer.
Is there demand for Criminal Justice workers?
The career paths mapped to Criminal Justice have roughly 480,600 combined annual openings nationally, making this a very large job market. Demand is driven by public safety staffing needs and retirement-driven turnover.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →