Location: Winston-Salem, NC•In-State Tuition: $2,256•Out-of-State Tuition: $6,864
Median Earnings (1yr)
$48,388
50th percentile
60th percentile in North Carolina
Median Debt
$21,066
58% above national median
D/E Ratio: 0.44 ManageableSample: 27 graduates Limited data

Analysis

Forsyth Tech's criminal justice certificate graduates enter the workforce at nearly $50,000—matching the national median and outperforming most North Carolina programs at the 60th percentile. What really sets this apart is the debt load: at just over $21,000, it's substantially higher than the state median but still results in a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44, meaning graduates earn more than twice what they owe. That's manageable territory, especially for a one-year credential that gets students working quickly.

The caveat matters here: we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so individual circumstances could skew these numbers significantly. Still, the earnings align closely with established programs across the state, suggesting this isn't an outlier. For parents weighing community college options in North Carolina, this program delivers middle-of-the-pack earnings with slightly elevated debt—not the lowest-cost path, but far from problematic given the income level.

The bottom line: if your student is set on criminal justice and wants to stay local, this certificate provides reasonable entry into the field. The debt isn't negligible, but it's proportional to first-year earnings. Just remember that the small graduate sample means these outcomes could vary more than usual from one cohort to the next.

Where Forsyth Technical Community College Stands

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

Forsyth Technical Community CollegeOther criminal justice and corrections programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Earnings Distribution

How Forsyth Technical Community College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Forsyth Technical Community College earns $48k — 50th percentile among criminal justice and corrections certificate programs.

Compare to Similar Programs in North Carolina

Criminal Justice and Corrections certificate's programs at peer institutions in North Carolina (58 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)Earnings (4yr)Median DebtDebt/Earnings
Forsyth Technical Community CollegeWinston-Salem$2,256$48,388—$21,0660.44
Cape Fear Community CollegeWilmington$2,748$52,282$42,740$16,0420.31
Gaston CollegeDallas$3,186$50,038———
Durham Technical Community CollegeDurham$1,986$49,893—$17,7500.36
Wilson Community CollegeWilson$2,572$48,304—$17,0600.35
South Piedmont Community CollegePolkton$2,022$47,748—$17,8230.37
National Median—$48,388—$13,3550.28

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 Forsyth Technical Community College, approximately 41% 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.

Sample Size: Based on 27 graduates with reported earnings and 24 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.