Criminal Justice and Corrections at Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem State's Criminal Justice program produces graduates who start well below the national median at $31,564—landing in just the 11th percentile nationally. While that ranking sounds alarming, the state context matters here: this sits at the 40th percentile among North Carolina programs, where criminal justice salaries generally lag behind the national average. The debt load of $27,000 matches the state median exactly and translates to a manageable 0.86 debt-to-earnings ratio. For a school serving a predominantly Pell-eligible student body, these fundamentals are reasonable, if unexciting.

The trajectory shows meaningful improvement, with earnings climbing 23% to $38,722 by year four—nearly reaching the national median. However, even at that point, graduates still trail peers from other NC schools like Strayer University-North Carolina ($43,405) and University of Mount Olive ($40,639) by $4,000-$5,000 annually. Over a career, those gaps compound significantly.

For families focused purely on financial return, stronger options exist within North Carolina. But for students who need Winston-Salem State's accessible admissions and support systems, this program won't bury them in debt, and the earnings growth suggests career progression is possible. Just understand you're trading some earning potential for accessibility—and that criminal justice as a field pays less in NC than in many other states.