Criminal Justice and Corrections at University of North Georgia

University of North Georgia's Criminal Justice program outpaces most competitors in the state while keeping debt reasonable. With first-year earnings of $41,598, graduates earn $4,000 more than the Georgia median and rank in the 60th percentile among the state's 37 programs. More importantly, they graduate with $22,363 in debt—nearly $8,300 less than the typical Georgia criminal justice graduate. That 0.54 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates need to commit just over half their first year's salary to pay off their loans, a manageable starting point for a public service career.

The earnings trajectory shows steady upward momentum, with 11% growth to $46,136 by year four. While this program won't match the outlier results at Herzing or Reinhardt (which likely feed into specialized corporate security or investigative roles), it delivers solidly middle-class outcomes for students entering law enforcement, corrections, or related fields. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates confirms these aren't flukes—this is the actual earning power you can expect.

For a family weighing options, North Georgia offers a straightforward value proposition: competitive earnings with lower-than-average debt in a field where starting salaries are fairly standardized. If your child is committed to criminal justice work in Georgia, this program provides a debt burden they can realistically handle on a public sector salary.