Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degree) at Adrian College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$48,676

Est. from national median (29 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$27,000

Est. from national median (9 programs)

Analysis

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 suggests manageable repayment, though both figures here are estimates drawn from similar bachelor's programs nationwide. At $27,000 in estimated debt against first-year earnings around $48,700, graduates would face monthly payments of roughly $300—about 7-8% of gross income under standard repayment terms. That's within the commonly cited "affordable" threshold, though homeland security careers often require additional certifications or graduate credentials to advance beyond entry-level positions.

What complicates the picture is Michigan's smaller market for these programs. With only four schools offering homeland security bachelor's degrees statewide, peer program data from Michigan suggests typical debt closer to $21,500—potentially $5,500 less than Adrian's estimate. Whether that gap reflects Adrian's pricing or simply variation in how these programs structure financial aid packages, it's worth understanding before committing. The field itself spans everything from TSA positions to emergency management to cybersecurity roles, with vastly different earning trajectories depending on which path graduates pursue.

Given the estimation uncertainty and the credential's breadth, investigate what specific career outcomes Adrian's graduates actually achieve and whether those align with your child's goals. The numbers suggest reasonable value if the program leads directly to employment, but homeland security is rarely a first-year-earnings story—it's about where graduates are five years out.

Where Adrian College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all homeland security bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs Nationally

Homeland Security bachelors's programs at top institutions nationally

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Adrian CollegeAdrian	$40,556	$48,676*	—	$27,000*	—
George Mason UniversityFairfax	$13,815	$90,956*	—	$21,741*	0.24
Bethel UniversityMcKenzie	$18,168	$78,275*	$62,271	$31,919*	0.41
Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix	$17,450	$68,503*	$73,431	$28,787*	0.42
Columbia CollegeColumbia	$21,450	$67,338*	—	$27,855*	0.41
Waldorf UniversityForest City	$25,220	$66,446*	—	$23,437*	0.35
National Median	—	$48,676*	—	$23,475*	0.48

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with homeland security graduates

Emergency Management Directors

Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.

$86,130/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Managers, All Other

All managers not listed separately.

Regulatory Affairs Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.

Compliance Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.

Loss Prevention Managers

Plan and direct policies, procedures, or systems to prevent the loss of assets. Determine risk exposure or potential liability, and develop risk control measures.

Wind Energy Development Managers

Lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. May also manage construction of projects.

Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers

Plan and direct cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties for reuse. Does not include properties sufficiently contaminated to qualify as Superfund sites.

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

All postsecondary teachers not listed separately.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other

All protective service supervisors not listed separately above.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Adrian College, approximately 31% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the national median of 29 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.