Criminal Justice and Corrections at American InterContinental University-Atlanta

This program saddles students with nearly double the typical debt for criminal justice associate's degrees—$27,750 versus a national median of $14,230. That's 95th percentile debt nationally, meaning only 5% of similar programs burden graduates with more borrowing. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.97 appears manageable at first glance, these graduates are starting at $28,600, which trails both Georgia's median ($30,539) and the national average ($33,269) by significant margins.

The 83% Pell grant rate tells you this program primarily serves lower-income students who can least afford to carry above-average debt into careers that typically don't pay well initially. Even four years out, earnings reach only $32,943—still below what the typical Georgia graduate in this field earns in year one. Ranking in just the 20th percentile nationally means 80% of similar programs produce better earnings outcomes. North Georgia Technical College graduates, for comparison, earn $31,698 right away without the debt burden.

For families considering this path: community colleges and technical schools across Georgia deliver comparable or better criminal justice outcomes at half the cost. Unless AIU-Atlanta offers unique career services or connections that dramatically improve job placement, the premium pricing doesn't align with the returns. The high-debt, below-average-earnings combination creates financial stress that could take years to resolve on an entry-level criminal justice salary.