Criminology at Coker University

Coker's criminology program produces graduates earning just $25,862 in their first year—roughly $12,000 below both the state and national medians for this field. Among South Carolina's four criminology programs, this ranks dead last, trailing schools like Southern Wesleyan ($40,834) and Clemson ($38,057) by significant margins. Nationally, it falls into the bottom 5th percentile for earnings while carrying $30,000 in debt—more than typical borrowing for criminology majors.

The 32% earnings growth to $34,220 by year four helps close the gap somewhat, but graduates still lag behind where their peers started. That first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.16 means graduates owe more than a full year's salary, creating immediate financial pressure that could complicate standard loan repayment. For context, criminology programs at peer institutions in South Carolina place graduates in substantially stronger starting positions from day one.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers could skew the picture. But even accounting for that uncertainty, the pattern is concerning: below-average starting salaries combined with above-average debt. Unless your child has specific reasons to attend Coker (location, scholarship, family ties), other South Carolina schools offer criminology graduates a clearer path to financial stability after graduation.