Homeland Security Degree

29 schools compared · Average earnings $51,121/yr

Students study terrorism prevention, emergency preparedness, border security, cybersecurity threats, intelligence analysis, and the coordination of national security agencies. Graduates typically pursue careers in the Department of Homeland Security, TSA, FEMA, Customs and Border Protection, emergency management, and private sector security consulting. This post-9/11 field offers diverse career paths across federal, state, and local security organizations.

What Homeland Security Graduates Do

Your degree prepares you for leadership roles where you'll coordinate the people and systems that keep communities safe. Many graduates become first-line supervisors, managing teams of police officers or private security staff. Your day-to-day will involve less fieldwork and more scheduling, overseeing investigations, and making critical decisions during active incidents. Another key path is emergency management, where you’ll develop city-wide response plans for disasters, run drills, and coordinate between agencies like fire, police, and public health when a crisis hits.

Career progression typically involves starting in an operational role—like a police officer or junior analyst—and leveraging your field experience to move into management. While most of these leadership paths show steady demand, general management roles are expanding the fastest. AI will significantly change how you work. Expect technology to automate routine tasks like initial threat assessment and resource allocation modeling, freeing you to focus on high-level strategy, team leadership, and making tough judgment calls under pressure. Your long-term value will depend on your ability to adapt and leverage these powerful new tools.

Schools Offering
29
Avg Grad Earnings
$51,121/yr
Avg DegreeOutlook Score
52/100
AI Automation Risk
Moderate
38% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Homeland Security graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 142,400 combined openings per year.

Career Path Salary Range Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Managers, all other
$136,550
$100K$179K
106,700 +4.5% 47%
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
$105,980
$81K$134K
10,900 +2.9% 33%
Emergency management directors
$86,130
$64K$120K
1,000 +3.0% 42%
Postsecondary teachers, all other
$78,490
$56K$123K
13,500 +1.8% 0%
First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
$74,960
$52K$91K
2,100 +1.6% 0%
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
$71,470
$56K$100K
1,200 +2.0% 50%
First-line supervisors of security workers
$58,610
$46K$75K
7,000 +2.7% 40%
Managers, all other
$136,550
$100K $179K
106,700 openings/yr +4.5% growth 47% AI risk
First-line supervisors of police and detectives
$105,980
$81K $134K
10,900 openings/yr +2.9% growth 33% AI risk
Emergency management directors
$86,130
$64K $120K
1,000 openings/yr +3.0% growth 42% AI risk
Postsecondary teachers, all other
$78,490
$56K $123K
13,500 openings/yr +1.8% growth 0% AI risk
First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other
$74,960
$52K $91K
2,100 openings/yr +1.6% growth 0% AI risk
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary
$71,470
$56K $100K
1,200 openings/yr +2.0% growth 50% AI risk
First-line supervisors of security workers
$58,610
$46K $75K
7,000 openings/yr +2.7% growth 40% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Homeland Security

Top 20 of 29 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings ROI
1 American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
69
63–69
$62,340/yr 21.6x
2 Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
64
58–64
$68,503/yr 10.3x
3 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide
Daytona Beach, FL
62
54–62
$48,676/yr 14.2x
4 George Mason University
Fairfax, VA
61
57–61
$90,956/yr 15.5x
5 Bethel University
McKenzie, TN
61
56–61
$78,275/yr 8.7x
6 Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, AL
61
55–61
$62,313/yr 25.8x
7 University of North Texas
Denton, TX
60
51–60
$44,969/yr 14.3x
8 National University
San Diego, CA
59
53–60
$63,963/yr 10.5x
9 SUNY College of Technology at Canton
Canton, NY
59
51–59
$48,753/yr 15.4x
10 Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO
58
49–58
$42,266/yr 14.6x
11 Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
55
46–55
$43,090/yr 14.6x
12 Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
55
46–56
$38,307/yr 14.2x
13 Utica University
Utica, NY
54
47–54
$57,215/yr 5.7x
14 Columbia College
Columbia, SC
51
46–52
$67,338/yr 6.8x
15 Waldorf University
Forest City, IA
51
45–51
$66,446/yr 5.6x
16 Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, FL
50
43–50
$54,837/yr 4.9x
17 Post University
Waterbury, CT
49
42–49
$53,772/yr 6.9x
18 University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, NH
49
41–49
$51,200/yr 7.1x
19 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL
49
41–50
$48,676/yr 3.2x
20 University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE
49
40–49
$42,058/yr 11.6x

Highest Earning Homeland Security Programs

Schools where Homeland Security graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score
George Mason University $90,956/yr 61
Bethel University $78,275/yr 61
Grand Canyon University $68,503/yr 64
Columbia College $67,338/yr 51
Waldorf University $66,446/yr 51
National University $63,963/yr 59
American Public University System $62,340/yr 69
Columbia Southern University $62,313/yr 61
Utica University $57,215/yr 54
Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale $54,837/yr 50

Best ROI for Homeland Security

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Homeland Security.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
Columbia Southern University 25.8x $62,313/yr 61
American Public University System 21.6x $62,340/yr 69
George Mason University 15.5x $90,956/yr 61
SUNY College of Technology at Canton 15.4x $48,753/yr 59
Northwest Missouri State University 14.6x $42,266/yr 58
Arkansas Tech University 14.6x $43,090/yr 55
University of North Texas 14.3x $44,969/yr 60
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide 14.2x $48,676/yr 62
Eastern Kentucky University 14.2x $38,307/yr 55
University of Nebraska at Omaha 11.6x $42,058/yr 49
Want to compare two Homeland Security programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

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Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Homeland Security offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Homeland Security graduates earn?
Across 29 schools, Homeland Security graduates earn an average of $51,121 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $27,387 to $90,956 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Homeland Security?
Homeland Security is rated "Moderate" for AI automation risk, with an average of 38% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means some career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Homeland Security program?
Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), American Public University System ranks #1 for Homeland Security with a score of 69/100 and graduate earnings of $62,340/yr.
What's the outlook for a Homeland Security degree?
On average, Homeland Security graduates earn 10.0x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →