Criminology at University of West Georgia

University of West Georgia's criminology program costs more than nearly every other criminology program nationwide while delivering below-average starting salaries. First-year graduates earn $33,839—about $3,600 less than the national median for criminology majors and roughly $750 below Georgia's state median. Given that 42% of students receive Pell grants, that $28,500 debt burden hits harder than the numbers suggest, even though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84 looks manageable on paper.

The silver lining is trajectory: earnings climb 24% by year four, reaching $41,811, which pulls graduates closer to competitive territory. Within Georgia, the program ranks at the 40th percentile—essentially middle-of-the-pack among just four options. Georgia Southern produces slightly better outcomes at similar debt levels, but the differences aren't dramatic enough to rule UWG out entirely.

For families banking on public safety or corrections careers in Georgia, this program works if your student is committed to the field and plans to stay in-state where familiarity with local criminal justice systems matters. But if they're exploring criminology as a general social science degree or considering graduate school, the combination of higher debt and weaker initial earnings creates a narrower margin for error than you'd want. The four-year earnings bump helps, but it doesn't erase the challenging first few years after graduation.