Criminal Justice and Corrections at Bryan College-Dayton

A Criminal Justice bachelor's degree from Bryan College comes with an estimated debt load of nearly $35,000—roughly $8,000 above what's typical for similar Tennessee programs and well above the national median of $26,000. When peer programs in the state suggest first-year earnings around $36,000, you're looking at nearly a 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning your child would owe almost their entire first year's salary. That's a tighter squeeze than many criminal justice programs deliver.

The earnings estimate itself sits right at Tennessee's median for this field, but context matters: the top programs in the state produce markedly better outcomes, with graduates at Bethel and Cumberland earning $45,000 to $54,000 in their first year. Criminal justice careers often start modestly—law enforcement, corrections, and social services roles typically don't offer lucrative entry salaries—so the debt burden becomes the deciding factor. At $35,000 in loans, your child would face monthly payments that consume a significant chunk of take-home pay on a public sector salary.

Given these estimates and Bryan's higher-than-average debt load for this field, you'd want concrete evidence that this program offers advantages—stronger law enforcement connections, better job placement, or unique specializations—that justify the premium. Without that clarity, Tennessee offers multiple alternatives with either lower debt or stronger earning potential in the same field.