Criminal Justice and Corrections at College of Coastal Georgia

Among Georgia's 37 criminal justice programs, College of Coastal Georgia sits at the 25th percentile for earnings—not the worst, but significantly trailing the state median of $37,330. The $31,119 first-year salary here falls about $6,000 below both state and national benchmarks, placing graduates in the bottom 5% nationally. The bright spot is the relatively modest $15,500 debt load, roughly half what Georgia criminal justice graduates typically carry. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.50, meaning graduates earn twice their debt in their first year—the kind of math that suggests repayment won't consume their early career budgets.

Here's the catch: this analysis is based on fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could swing considerably with a larger sample. The 99% admission rate and below-average test scores suggest College of Coastal Georgia primarily serves students who need access more than selectivity, which may partially explain the earnings gap. For Georgia families, the low debt combined with reasonable earnings creates a workable scenario, even if it's not the strongest value proposition in the state. If your child is set on criminal justice and needs an accessible entry point without heavy borrowing, this works. But if they have options at programs like Thomas University or even the state median performers, those would likely deliver better returns on similar timelines.