Criminal Justice and Corrections at Wingate University

Wingate's Criminal Justice program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—both nationally and within North Carolina—with graduates earning about $39,500 in their first year. That's roughly $5,000 above the typical North Carolina criminal justice graduate, though still below what students at Strayer or Campbell achieve. The $27,000 debt load matches the state median exactly, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that's manageable but not exceptional in this field.

The real caveat here is the sample size: with fewer than 30 recent graduates tracked, these numbers could shift substantially year to year. Criminal justice programs generally don't lead to high-paying early careers, and Wingate follows that pattern. Graduates are earning modestly more than peers at most NC schools, but they're not breaking into the salary territory that would make the degree a clear financial winner.

For parents, this means Wingate delivers what you'd expect from a mid-tier private school in this major—reasonable outcomes at reasonable debt levels. If your student is committed to criminal justice and drawn to Wingate's campus environment, these numbers shouldn't dissuade you. But don't expect strong earnings growth to quickly offset the private school price tag, and keep the small sample caveat in mind when weighing this against larger state programs with more predictable outcomes.