Homeland Security at Bethel University

That striking $78,275 first-year salary—60% above the national median for Homeland Security programs—demands immediate scrutiny given the small sample size. With fewer than 30 graduates tracked, this could reflect a handful of exceptional placements rather than a reliable program outcome. The fact that Tennessee only has two schools offering this degree makes state comparisons less meaningful, though it's worth noting this figure matches the state median exactly.

The real warning sign isn't the debt load, which at $32,000 sits just slightly above national norms. It's the earnings trajectory: graduates see their median salary drop from $78,275 to $62,271 over four years, a 20% decline. This pattern suggests either initial job placements that don't lead to advancement, or that the high starting number reflects temporary or non-traditional employment. Even with that decline, year-four earnings still land near the 75th percentile nationally, but the downward momentum raises questions about career sustainability.

For parents, this translates to a genuine dilemma. If your student lands in that initial high-earning cohort, the debt-to-earnings math works beautifully at 0.41. But the small sample and earnings decline make this program impossible to evaluate with confidence. Unless you can verify specific employer connections or job placement details directly with Bethel that explain both the strong start and the subsequent drop, you're essentially betting on incomplete information.