Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degree) at East Arkansas Community College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$36,076

Est. from AR median (3 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$12,000

Est. from national median (212 programs)

Analysis

With an estimated debt load of $12,000—less than half the state median for criminal justice programs in Arkansas—this associate degree appears positioned to avoid the financial pitfalls common in this field. Similar programs across Arkansas suggest first-year earnings around $36,000, which would make the monthly loan payments manageable at roughly a third of that initial income.

Criminal justice associate degrees in Arkansas show wide variation, with some programs loading graduates with more than $25,000 in debt for comparable earnings. If East Arkansas Community College's actual debt burden tracks near this national estimate rather than the higher state figure, that's a meaningful advantage. The field itself doesn't command high salaries—even top-performing Arkansas programs rarely exceed $39,000 in first-year earnings—so keeping borrowing low matters more here than in higher-earning fields.

The practical question is whether your student plans to use this as a stepping stone. Many criminal justice positions either require or strongly prefer bachelor's degrees for advancement beyond entry-level roles. If the plan is to transfer to complete a four-year degree, maintaining low debt at the associate level makes strategic sense. If this is the terminal degree, understand that the salary ceiling in corrections and related fields remains relatively modest, making that initial debt-to-earnings ratio crucial to long-term financial stability.

Where East Arkansas Community College Stands

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Arkansas

Criminal Justice and Corrections associates's programs at peer institutions in Arkansas (28 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
East Arkansas Community CollegeForrest City	$3,960	$36,076*	—	$12,000*	—
University of Arkansas GranthamLIttle Rock	$8,280	$39,043*	$35,612	$25,422*	0.65
Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville	$8,508	$36,076*	$37,671	$25,570*	0.71
National Park CollegeHot Springs	$5,600	$34,904*	$31,096	—*	—
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 East Arkansas Community College, approximately 27% 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 AR. Actual outcomes may vary.