Criminal Justice and Corrections at Remington College-Nashville Campus

This program faces a challenging equation: earnings that lag 19% behind the national median for criminal justice associates degrees, combined with debt that exceeds the national median by 55%. That first-year salary of $26,952 translates to roughly $13 per hour—barely above what many entry-level retail positions offer in Nashville, yet students are borrowing over $22,000 to get there.

Here's the silver lining: among Tennessee criminal justice programs, this actually sits at the median for both earnings and debt, ranking at the 60th percentile statewide. The problem isn't Remington specifically—it's that Tennessee's criminal justice associate programs broadly underperform national benchmarks. The 17% earnings growth to year four shows some career progression, but graduates still earn $2,000 less than the national median even after four years in the field.

For a family considering this path, the math is sobering. At $31,462 in year four, graduates will spend years paying down that $22,119 in debt on an income that remains well below what criminal justice associates earn in most other states. Unless your child has a specific Tennessee law enforcement connection or career plan that makes this credential essential, they'd likely see better returns from lower-cost community college options or exploring criminal justice programs in states where the field pays more competitively.