ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Savannah State University

GA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 43.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from Savannah State University earn a median salary of $44,571 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,250. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.8 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,991

Typical Career

$44,571

Top Performers

$55,228

Estimated break-even: 17.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$297

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,714. Most students can comfortably afford about a $297 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 17.7%
Health Care & Social Assistance 16.9%
Public Administration 10.4%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$49,250

Nominal: $44,571 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

17.8 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 $23,864 $31,232 $39,704
5 Years After Graduation $34,991 $44,571 $55,228
10 Years After Graduation $40,342 $52,479 $67,887

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 $44,571 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,571 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $49,250 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Criminal Justice and Corrections program at Savannah State University can expect a steady earnings trajectory over time. The median earnings one year post-graduation are $31,232, which increase to $44,571 after five years and reach $52,479 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with the national average at approximately $49,249.72, indicating that graduates may experience a favorable economic position relative to their peers in other regions.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (17.7%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.9%), and Public Administration (10.4%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high school-only path is approximately 17.8 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time, the long-term benefits can be substantial. Overall, students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career paths in criminal justice and corrections.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Criminal Justice and Corrections degree at Savannah State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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