Criminal Justice and Corrections at Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley State graduates with this degree earn $29,445 in their first year—landing in just the 5th percentile nationally and 25th percentile among Georgia's 37 criminal justice programs. That $8,000 gap below Georgia's median is substantial when you're already earning under $30,000. The debt picture compounds the challenge: graduates carry $34,625, which is actually above both state and national medians for this program. Put simply, this means higher debt paired with significantly lower earnings than typical criminal justice graduates achieve elsewhere.

The 26% earnings growth to $36,975 by year four helps narrow the gap somewhat, but graduates still trail state and national benchmarks. Compare this to Georgia alternatives: Reinhardt University graduates earn $62,019, and even public options significantly outpace Fort Valley's outcomes. The university serves a predominantly lower-income student population (72% receive Pell grants), which may reflect its access mission, but families need to weigh whether borrowing $34,625 for these earning outcomes makes financial sense when better-performing in-state options exist.

For families considering this program, the debt-to-earnings math is challenging from day one. If your child is set on criminal justice in Georgia, exploring programs at other state institutions with stronger earnings track records—or starting at a community college before transferring—would likely improve the return on investment considerably.