Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degree) at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$48,676

Est. from national median (29 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$27,000

Est. from national median (9 programs)

Analysis

A bachelor's in Homeland Security carries substantial uncertainty at Indiana Wesleyan, where both earnings and debt figures are estimated from peer programs nationally rather than actual graduate outcomes. Based on those estimates—roughly $49,000 in first-year earnings against $27,000 in debt—the 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, but that assumes this specific program performs similarly to the national median of 29 comparable programs used to generate the earnings figure.

The debt estimate deserves particular scrutiny. It comes from just nine similar institutions nationally, not from Indiana Wesleyan's own graduates in this field. At $27,000, it exceeds the national median debt for Homeland Security programs by about $3,500. Combined with an admission rate above 80% and below-average test scores, this suggests a school serving accessible education at a moderate price point—but without actual outcomes data, you're effectively betting that their program matches the national average for job placement and salary negotiation.

For parents, the practical question is whether you're comfortable making a $27,000 investment based on national trends rather than this school's proven track record in placing Homeland Security graduates. If your student has admission offers from Indiana programs with reported data, prioritize those for comparison. The estimated numbers here aren't alarming, but they're also not evidence of what Indiana Wesleyan actually delivers for this specific degree.

Where Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all homeland security bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs Nationally

Homeland Security bachelors's programs at top institutions nationally

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion	$31,168	$48,676*	—	$27,000*	—
George Mason UniversityFairfax	$13,815	$90,956*	—	$21,741*	0.24
Bethel UniversityMcKenzie	$18,168	$78,275*	$62,271	$31,919*	0.41
Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix	$17,450	$68,503*	$73,431	$28,787*	0.42
Columbia CollegeColumbia	$21,450	$67,338*	—	$27,855*	0.41
Waldorf UniversityForest City	$25,220	$66,446*	—	$23,437*	0.35
National Median	—	$48,676*	—	$23,475*	0.48

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with homeland security graduates

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:

Managers, All Other

All managers not listed separately.

Regulatory Affairs Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.

Compliance Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.

Loss Prevention Managers

Plan and direct policies, procedures, or systems to prevent the loss of assets. Determine risk exposure or potential liability, and develop risk control measures.

Wind Energy Development Managers

Lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. May also manage construction of projects.

Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers

Plan and direct cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties for reuse. Does not include properties sufficiently contaminated to qualify as Superfund sites.

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

All postsecondary teachers not listed separately.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other

All protective service supervisors not listed separately above.

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 Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, approximately 25% 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 national median of 29 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.