Homeland Security (Bachelor's Degree) at Upper Iowa University

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$48,676

Est. from national median (29 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$27,000

Est. from national median (9 programs)

Analysis

Upper Iowa's homeland security bachelor's estimates a debt load of $27,000—above both the national and Iowa medians for this field—paired with first-year earnings around $48,676 based on comparable programs nationally. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 sits in reasonable territory, but the picture becomes more complicated when you see that Waldorf University's homeland security graduates in Iowa earn a reported $66,446, nearly $18,000 more in their first year. Whether that gap reflects differences in program focus, student networks, or job placement remains unclear with estimated rather than actual outcomes.

The financial math works if the earnings estimate holds: you'd be carrying about 55% of your first-year salary in debt, which most families can manage with standard repayment plans. But peer programs in Iowa appear to produce significantly stronger early earnings, and without actual graduate data from Upper Iowa, you're making a bet that this program performs closer to the national average than the state's higher benchmark. For a school with a 93% admission rate and modest test scores, that's not a guaranteed outcome.

Given the uncertainty, look closely at Upper Iowa's specific career services, alumni network in homeland security fields, and whether graduates are landing federal versus local security positions—those details matter tremendously for crossing the gap between $48,000 and $66,000. If those supports aren't demonstrably strong, the safer financial choice may be the program with proven outcomes.

Where Upper Iowa University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all homeland security bachelors's programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Iowa

Homeland Security bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Iowa (2 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Upper Iowa UniversityFayette	$19,000	$48,676*	—	$27,000*	—
Waldorf UniversityForest City	$25,220	$66,446*	—	$23,437*	0.35
National Median	—	$48,676*	—	$23,475*	0.48

* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with homeland security graduates

Emergency Management Directors

Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.

$86,130/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Managers, All Other

All managers not listed separately.

Regulatory Affairs Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate production activities of an organization to ensure compliance with regulations and standard operating procedures.

Compliance Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of an organization to ensure compliance with ethical or regulatory standards.

Loss Prevention Managers

Plan and direct policies, procedures, or systems to prevent the loss of assets. Determine risk exposure or potential liability, and develop risk control measures.

Wind Energy Development Managers

Lead or manage the development and evaluation of potential wind energy business opportunities, including environmental studies, permitting, and proposals. May also manage construction of projects.

Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers

Plan and direct cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties for reuse. Does not include properties sufficiently contaminated to qualify as Superfund sites.

Postsecondary Teachers, All Other

All postsecondary teachers not listed separately.

First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of members of police force.

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Directly supervise and coordinate activities of security workers and security guards.

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other

All protective service supervisors not listed separately above.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Upper Iowa University, approximately 33% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the national median of 29 similar programs. Actual outcomes may vary.