Criminal Justice and Corrections at South University-Virginia Beach

South University-Virginia Beach graduates enter the workforce earning slightly below the state median for criminal justice programs, landing in the 40th percentile among Virginia schools. While the $37,713 starting salary roughly matches the national average, it's notably lower than what students earn at Liberty University ($48,855) or George Mason University ($43,612)—a gap that matters when you're carrying significantly more debt.

The real concern is the debt burden. At $55,652, graduates face more than double the typical debt load for this program both nationally and in Virginia. That translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.48, meaning graduates owe nearly 1.5 times their first-year salary. In a field where earnings growth is typically limited—this program shows a modest 13% increase to $42,478 by year four—those loan payments will consume a substantial portion of take-home pay for years. With half of students receiving Pell grants, many are already managing tight financial circumstances even before taking on this debt.

Criminal justice careers often offer stability and public service value, but they rarely command high salaries. At this institution, students are taking on private-school debt levels while preparing for public-sector wages. Virginia families have multiple lower-cost options that deliver comparable or better outcomes, including several public universities. Unless there are compelling personal circumstances that make this specific program necessary, the financial math argues strongly for exploring alternatives.