ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Midlands Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 43.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from Midlands Technical College earn a median salary of $45,024 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $47,294. The degree typically pays for itself in 20.7 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,388

Typical Career

$45,024

Top Performers

$56,116

Estimated break-even: 20.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$300

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,752. Most students can comfortably afford about a $300 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.7%
Public Administration 9.7%
Retail Trade 7.2%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$47,294

Nominal: $45,024 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

20.7 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,411 $34,157 $43,913
5 Years After Graduation $34,388 $45,024 $56,116
10 Years After Graduation $39,262 $48,919 $60,067

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $45,024 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $45,024 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $47,294 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Criminal Justice and Corrections program at Midlands Technical College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $34,157, rising to $45,024 five years post-graduation, and reaching $48,919 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of approximately $47,294.12, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive financial standing relative to the national average despite the cost-of-living index in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national benchmark.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with significant percentages working in various capacities within this industry. Specifically, 63.7% of graduates find employment in this field, with subsequent figures of 44.9% and 33.7% reflecting continued engagement in similar roles. The estimated break-even point for pursuing this degree compared to a high school-only path is approximately 20.7 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time to realize, the long-term career prospects and earning potential in the health-related sectors can provide a viable and rewarding career path for graduates.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.