Program Analysis
Starting salaries of $32,555/yr fall 16% below the $38,544 national median for Criminal Justice and Corrections. The financial case depends heavily on whether tuition compensates.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 14.7x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Criminal Justice and Corrections programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Criminal Justice and Corrections's typical career paths, with 36% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 7% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $27,000 represents roughly 10 months of the $32,555 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
At #311 of 629 Criminal Justice and Corrections programs, Tennessee State University scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Earnings grow from $32,555 to $48,027 over five years — a 48% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.