Criminal Justice and Corrections at Alcorn State University

Alcorn State's criminal justice graduates start at $30,617—well below both Mississippi's median of $35,540 and the national average of $37,856. While the program lands at the 40th percentile among Mississippi schools, that still means lower first-year earnings than half the state's programs, including notably stronger performers like Strayer University-Mississippi ($43,405) and Mississippi College ($37,324). The $28,065 debt load isn't extreme, but paired with those starting salaries, it creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.92, meaning graduates carry nearly a full year's salary in loans.

The 28% earnings growth to $39,137 by year four offers some redemption, suggesting the degree does open doors to career progression. However, parents should recognize this program serves a predominantly low-income student body (77% receive Pell grants), and these modest earnings may reflect both local job market realities in Mississippi and the public service nature of criminal justice careers. The small sample size makes it hard to know if these figures represent the typical graduate experience.

If your child is committed to criminal justice and specifically wants Alcorn's community, understand they'll likely face a challenging financial start compared to peers at other Mississippi schools. Programs like Mississippi College offer meaningfully better early earnings with similar debt burdens.