Criminal Justice and Corrections at South College

A debt load around $9,500 is manageable compared to what most certificate programs in criminal justice produce—peer programs nationally carry a median of $13,355 in debt, and Tennessee programs typically run about $11,510. That's a meaningful difference when you're starting a career that, based on comparable criminal justice certificate programs, typically yields first-year earnings around $48,000. The 0.20 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests you'd be borrowing less than three months of expected income.

The earnings estimate here comes from national patterns, since this specific program's graduate numbers are too small for the Department of Education to report publicly. What we know is that criminal justice certificates across the country cluster around $48,000 in first-year earnings, though Tennessee programs specifically tend to run somewhat lower at $43,000. Other Tennessee schools with reported data—like Walters State at $44,624—suggest the state benchmark is probably more realistic for planning purposes than the national figure.

For a certificate program serving a heavily Pell-eligible student body (50%), the relatively low debt burden is the story worth noting. Even if actual earnings land closer to Tennessee's typical $43,000 rather than the national $48,000, you're still looking at roughly a quarter of first-year income in total debt—workable for most graduates entering corrections or law enforcement roles.