Criminal Justice and Corrections at George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville

First-year earnings of $35,238 place this program slightly above the national median for criminal justice associate degrees, landing it in the 60th percentile both statewide and nationally. That's meaningful—it suggests graduates are entering the workforce with competitive positioning compared to peers from over 1,100 similar programs across the country. The actual earnings figure comes from graduate outcomes data, though the debt estimate of $12,000 is derived from comparable associate programs nationally since this school's sample size was too small to report.

That estimated debt figure, if accurate, would represent a significant advantage. At a 0.34 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates would be looking at roughly four months of first-year salary to cover their loans—well below the national median debt of $14,230 for this credential. Alabama programs in this field typically carry higher debt loads (the state median is over $18,000), so Wallace State's lower-cost structure could make a substantial difference in how quickly graduates establish financial footing in careers that don't always command high starting salaries.

The earnings gap between top and bottom performers in Alabama is dramatic, though. Columbia Southern's graduates earn more than double what Wallace State's do, which raises questions about whether program type, format, or employer connections drive those differences. Still, for students prioritizing low debt and solid middle-of-the-pack outcomes in criminal justice, this combination of verified earnings performance and estimated modest borrowing suggests reasonable value—assuming the debt estimate holds true for your student's situation.