Criminology at Flagler College

At $29,240 in first-year earnings, Flagler's criminology program significantly underperforms both the Florida median ($35,096) and national average ($37,476) for this major. This places graduates in the bottom quarter of Florida criminology programs and the bottom 5th percentile nationally—earning roughly $6,000 less than the typical Florida grad and nearly $8,000 less than the national benchmark. The concerning gap becomes clearer when you consider that Barry University and Florida Southern College criminology grads earn $14,000-$15,000 more annually, suggesting that program quality or alumni networks vary substantially even within the same state and field.

The debt picture offers little consolation. While the $25,625 borrowing level sits near the national median for criminology majors, that becomes problematic when paired with below-average earnings. The 0.88 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates carry nearly a full year's salary in debt—a tight squeeze for someone making under $30,000. Many criminology careers in law enforcement, corrections, or social services start at modest salaries that grow with experience, but this program's graduates are starting from a particularly low baseline that could strain finances during critical early-career years.

For families considering this program, the value proposition is weak compared to alternatives. If your child is committed to criminology and staying in Florida, schools like Barry or even the larger state universities deliver meaningfully better outcomes without necessarily higher debt loads. The $14,000-plus earnings gap between Flagler and better-performing Florida programs compounds substantially over a career.