Criminal Justice and Corrections at Augusta Technical College

Augusta Technical College's Criminal Justice certificate puts graduates at $46,165 in their first year—landing them squarely in the middle for Georgia but slightly below the $48,388 national median for this credential. More concerning is what happens next: earnings barely budge over four years, creeping up just 3% to $47,397. That stagnation means graduates aren't advancing much beyond entry-level positions in corrections or security work.

The estimated debt of $12,833, based on similar programs at Georgia technical colleges, translates to a manageable 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio—you'd expect to pay roughly three months of gross income toward that debt. For a certificate program serving a student body where 42% receive Pell grants, that's not an unreasonable burden. The challenge isn't the upfront cost but the limited income trajectory afterward.

The real question is whether this certificate opens doors that wouldn't otherwise be available. If your child can enter corrections or law enforcement without the credential, the earnings bump may not justify even a year of study. But if local agencies require it for hiring, the low debt and immediate employability make it workable—just understand you're buying access to a career with modest pay and minimal growth, not a path to financial mobility.