Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degree) at Arkansas Baptist College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$38,083

Est. from AR median (9 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$27,000

Est. from national median (261 programs)

Analysis

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.71—meaning roughly nine months of first-year income to cover the loan balance—puts this program in manageable territory by most standards. Based on peer criminal justice programs in Arkansas, graduates typically earn around $38,000 in their first year, which aligns closely with the national median for this field. With estimated debt at $27,000, the monthly loan payments would consume about 12% of gross income under standard repayment, a workable though not comfortable burden for most entry-level criminal justice salaries.

What's harder to gauge is Arkansas Baptist's specific value within the state's criminal justice landscape. The top-earning programs in Arkansas show a wide spread—from $38,000 to over $50,000—and without actual outcomes data from this particular program, it's impossible to know whether graduates land closer to the Harding and University of Arkansas baseline or struggle to reach even that. The high Pell enrollment suggests the school serves students who may have fewer financial safety nets if job placement falters.

The fundamental question is whether this program reliably connects graduates to the law enforcement, corrections, or probation positions that justify the investment. Given that similar programs statewide produce the estimated earnings figure, ask the school directly about job placement rates and whether graduates secure positions with state agencies or municipal police departments—actual employment outcomes matter more than estimated averages when you're the one making payments.

Where Arkansas Baptist College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all criminal justice and corrections bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Arkansas

Criminal Justice and Corrections bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Arkansas (14 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Arkansas Baptist CollegeLittle Rock	$8,760	$38,083*	—	$27,000*	—
University of Arkansas GranthamLIttle Rock	$8,280	$50,520*	$47,671	$39,972*	0.79
Strayer University-ArkansasLittle Rock	$13,920	$43,405*	$50,636	$56,937*	1.31
University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle Rock	$8,455	$40,989*	$43,058	$30,026*	0.73
Harding UniversitySearcy	$24,888	$38,818*	$45,300	$24,955*	0.64
University of ArkansasFayetteville	$9,748	$38,083*	$46,801	$25,385*	0.67
National Median	—	$37,856*	—	$26,130*	0.69

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with criminal justice and corrections graduates

Financial Examiners

Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.

$90,400/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

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:

Compliance Officers

Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not classified elsewhere.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Environmental Compliance Inspectors

Inspect and investigate sources of pollution to protect the public and environment and ensure conformance with Federal, State, and local regulations and ordinances.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers

Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Government Property Inspectors and Investigators

Investigate or inspect government property to ensure compliance with contract agreements and government regulations.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Regulatory Affairs Specialists

Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations. May compile and prepare materials for submission to regulatory agencies.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Customs Brokers

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Police Identification and Records Officers

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Intelligence Analysts

Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of sources, such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks or geographic information systems. Use intelligence data to anticipate and prevent organized crime activities, such as terrorism.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

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 Arkansas Baptist College, approximately 46% 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 median of 9 similar programs in AR. Actual outcomes may vary.