Criminology at Southern Wesleyan University

Southern Wesleyan's criminology graduates earn $40,834 in their first year—about $3,400 more than the national median and nearly $2,800 above South Carolina's typical graduate in this field. That places them in the 77th percentile nationally, which is solid performance for a program at an open-admission institution. Graduating with $25,000 in debt means students face a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61, right at the threshold where most financial experts consider student loans reasonable.

The program's real advantage shows up in the state comparison. Among South Carolina's four criminology programs, Southern Wesleyan ranks in the 60th percentile—essentially middle of the pack—but their graduates still out-earn Clemson's by nearly $2,800. For families weighing in-state options, that's meaningful differentiation, especially since the debt loads are identical across programs.

The major caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes can swing these numbers significantly. A few graduates landing particularly good or bad positions could shift the median considerably. Still, earning above both state and national benchmarks while keeping debt moderate suggests the program prepares students adequately for entry-level criminal justice work. If your child is set on criminology and prefers a smaller Christian university environment, the numbers support this choice—just recognize you're working with limited data points.