U.S. median for this major: $55,208.
College Scorecard field of study; 40 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 22% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $12,719. College Scorecard.
Dalton State College Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Dalton State College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $3,962 | $18,701 | 1.3 years |
| $30–48k | $3,788 | $17,879 | 1.2 years |
| $48–75k | $6,042 | $28,518 | 1.9 years |
| $75–110k | $8,114 | $38,298 | 2.6 years |
| $110k+ | $10,055 | $47,460 | 3.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (14% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates 4 years after graduating ($48,341) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in GA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,825 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Criminal Justice at Georgia colleges
Every Georgia college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer University | $71,602 | $46,775 | $23,847 | 70% |
| 2 | Herzing University-Atlantabachelor's & associate | $69,601 | $28,399 | $21,679 | 14% |
| 3 | Reinhardt University | $67,847 | $27,475 | $24,425 | 44% |
| 4 | Thomas University | $61,295 | $45,464 | $18,499 | 28% |
| 5 | University of North Georgia | $57,813 | $22,363 | $9,823 | 37% |
| 6 | Shorter University | $56,677 | $30,817 | $16,646 | 38% |
| 7 | Kennesaw State University | $55,033 | $26,000 | $15,048 | 52% |
| 8 | Georgia State University | $52,857 | $26,812 | $15,931 | 53% |
| 9 | Middle Georgia State University | $52,719 | $30,500 | $12,361 | 25% |
| 10 | Georgia Southern University | $52,398 | $32,375 | $15,267 | 55% |
| 11 | Georgia College & State University | $52,062 | $25,000 | $20,686 | 64% |
| 12 | Savannah State University | $51,430 | $33,875 | $8,172 | 28% |
| 13 | University of Georgia | $50,717 | $22,978 | $13,936 | 90% |
| 14 | Augusta University | $50,254 | $30,299 | $13,787 | 49% |
| 15 | Columbus State University | $49,956 | $31,000 | $13,115 | 42% |
| 16 | Albany State University | $49,310 | $31,000 | $11,898 | 31% |
| 17 | Atlanta Metropolitan State Collegemostly 2-year | $48,543 | $26,529 | $5,258 | 17% |
| 18 | Dalton State College | $48,341 | $10,550 | $5,012 | 25% |
| 19 | Clayton State University | $47,627 | $31,000 | $8,365 | 40% |
| 20 | Clark Atlanta University | $47,012 | $27,000 | $37,702 | 49% |
| 21 | Valdosta State University | $46,593 | $27,250 | $10,945 | 42% |
| 22 | Fort Valley State University | $45,033 | $34,625 | $10,338 | 41% |
| 23 | College of Coastal Georgia | $44,274 | $15,500 | $15,261 | 26% |
| 24 | Piedmont University | $43,125 | — | $20,599 | 47% |
8 more Georgia colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Criminal Justice graduates
Police officer
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.5% by 2035. Typical entry: high school diploma or equivalent.
Compliance Officers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Dalton State College, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Dalton State College
- Acceptance rate: — · admissions
- Graduation rate: 25% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $40,251
- Full cost breakdown · all 26 majors · overview
Dalton State College Criminal Justice questions
How much do Dalton State College Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Criminal Justice graduates of Dalton State College earn a median $48,341 four years after graduating and $37,856 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.
How much debt do Dalton State College Criminal Justice graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Dalton State College is $10,550, about 22% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.
Is Dalton State College a good school for Criminal Justice in Georgia?
On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Dalton State College earn $48,341 four years out, $2,733 below the median for the same major across 24 Georgia colleges ($51,074) and $6,867 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Dalton State College rank for Criminal Justice in Georgia?
Of 24 Georgia colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Dalton State College ranks 18th; among the 22 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 16th. The highest is Mercer University at $71,602.
What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?
A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $60,130 in the Dalton, GA area and $76,210 nationally. Others include compliance officers and child, family, and school social workers.
Is Dalton State College the right fit for your family?
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Dalton State College Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/dalton-state-college/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).