Criminal Justice and Corrections at William Carey University

William Carey's criminal justice program sits in an interesting position: while its graduates earn below the national average for this field, they're actually performing at the Mississippi median—and with less debt than typical for the state. First-year earnings of $35,540 might seem modest, but they're beating half the programs in Mississippi, including larger institutions like Ole Miss.

The debt picture deserves attention here. At $24,729, graduates carry about $1,700 less debt than the state median, resulting in a manageable 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's meaningful in a field where starting salaries rarely exceed $40,000. However, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year—this isn't a large, established program with consistent outcomes data.

For Mississippi families, this represents a practical entry point into criminal justice careers without overwhelming debt. The program trails private schools like Mississippi College but costs less to attend. The real question is career trajectory: criminal justice degrees often require additional certifications or graduate work for advancement, so that $35,540 starting point needs to lead somewhere. If your child is committed to law enforcement or corrections in Mississippi and wants to minimize debt, this works—just understand you're looking at limited outcome data and modest earnings potential in a field that typically requires years to build substantial income.