Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degree) at Dakota Wesleyan University

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$41,230

Est. from SD median (3 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$22,119

Est. from national median (49 programs)

Analysis

Similar criminal justice programs in South Dakota suggest first-year earnings around $41,230—well above the national median of $33,269 for associate degrees in this field. That's encouraging, though graduates from South Dakota's technical colleges show a wide range, from $27,000 to nearly $50,000, suggesting local job market opportunities vary significantly. For a private university program, Dakota Wesleyan's estimated $22,119 in debt sits higher than both the state median ($15,000) and national median ($14,230), though it's not alarming given the earnings potential.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 indicates manageable repayment under typical circumstances—roughly half a year's salary in debt. However, this entire financial picture rests on estimates drawn from peer institutions, not actual outcomes from Dakota Wesleyan graduates. The reality could be better or worse depending on how this specific program connects students to law enforcement agencies, corrections facilities, or related employers in and beyond Mitchell.

Given the uncertainty, contact the program directly for graduate employment rates and typical starting positions. If Dakota Wesleyan's outcomes align with other SD programs and your child can keep borrowing close to these estimates, the numbers work. But at a small private institution charging more than technical colleges, you'll want concrete evidence that their criminal justice program delivers comparable career results before committing.

Where Dakota Wesleyan University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all criminal justice and corrections associates's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in South Dakota

Criminal Justice and Corrections associates's programs at peer institutions in South Dakota (9 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Dakota Wesleyan UniversityMitchell	$32,890	$41,230*	—	$22,119*	—
Southeast Technical CollegeSioux Falls	$7,650	$49,560*	$45,243	$12,000*	0.24
Lake Area Technical CollegeWatertown	$6,718	$41,230*	—	$12,000*	0.29
Western Dakota Technical CollegeRapid City	$8,008	$27,459*	$45,499	$17,999*	0.66
National Median	—	$33,269*	—	$14,230*	0.43

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with criminal justice and corrections graduates

Financial Examiners

Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.

$90,400/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Emergency Management Directors

Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.

$86,130/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Compliance Officers

Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not classified elsewhere.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Environmental Compliance Inspectors

Inspect and investigate sources of pollution to protect the public and environment and ensure conformance with Federal, State, and local regulations and ordinances.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers

Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Government Property Inspectors and Investigators

Investigate or inspect government property to ensure compliance with contract agreements and government regulations.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Regulatory Affairs Specialists

Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations. May compile and prepare materials for submission to regulatory agencies.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Customs Brokers

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Police Identification and Records Officers

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Intelligence Analysts

Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of sources, such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks or geographic information systems. Use intelligence data to anticipate and prevent organized crime activities, such as terrorism.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Dakota Wesleyan University, approximately 26% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 3 similar programs in SD. Actual outcomes may vary.