Criminal Justice and Corrections at Chowan University

Chowan University's Criminal Justice program starts with alarmingly low earnings—$29,109 puts graduates in the bottom 5% nationally—but the story gets more complicated. That $39,000 debt burden means new graduates owe more than they'll earn in their first year, a troubling financial position. However, by year four, median earnings jump to $43,460, representing nearly 50% growth and surpassing both state and national medians for this field. Among North Carolina's 36 criminal justice programs, this still only reaches the 25th percentile, but it does eventually outpace stronger programs like Campbell and Lees-McRae.

The pattern suggests graduates may start in entry-level positions (security, corrections officer roles) before advancing to better-paying law enforcement or supervisory positions. That's common in criminal justice, but the initial earnings gap here is particularly severe. With 61% of students receiving Pell grants, many families cannot afford to subsidize those lean early years while managing the debt load.

The math works only if your child can weather those first two years earning under $30,000 while carrying $39,000 in debt. If family support isn't available to bridge that gap, or if your child doesn't progress beyond entry-level work, this program becomes financially untenable. North Carolina has public university options in this field that would likely offer both lower debt and better initial placement.