Lane College Criminal Justice: earnings, debt & careers

Criminal Justice graduates of Lane College earn a median $45,008 four years after graduating ($35,917 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $38,680. That is $10,200 below the U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates ($55,208 across 584 colleges), and ranks 11th of 12 Tennessee colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,008

U.S. median for this major: $55,208.

College Scorecard field of study; 45 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$35,917

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$38,680

About 86% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$10,904 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $23,441. College Scorecard.

Lane College Criminal Justice: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Lane College graduates$45,008
Tennessee median (12 colleges)$49,908 (−$4,900)
U.S. median (584 colleges)$55,208 (−$10,200)

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 Lane College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$10,904$48,8504.7 years
$30–48kn/a—not available
$48–75kn/a—not available
$75–110kn/a—not available
$110k+n/a—not available

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (12% 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 ($45,008) minus $34,518 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,490 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 Tennessee colleges

Every Tennessee college we cover that reports Criminal Justice graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Bethel University$62,967$31,250$12,59535%
2Middle Tennessee State University$55,481$24,093$13,35954%
3The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga$53,565$22,995$14,26550%
4University of Memphis$53,399$27,000$12,39751%
5Austin Peay State University$53,376$25,281$9,73540%
6Cumberland University$51,032—$18,75946%
7King University$48,784$22,702$22,34748%
8Tusculum University$48,680—$21,13125%
9The University of Tennessee-Martin$46,142$22,671$10,70153%
10Tennessee State University$46,062$28,001$15,79634%
11Lane College$45,008$38,680$10,90418%
12East Tennessee State University$43,998$25,942$15,98353%

12 more Tennessee colleges offer Criminal Justice but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Criminal Justice graduates

Police officer

Jackson area$53,320
Tennessee$59,280
U.S.$76,210

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.5% by 2035. Typical entry: high school diploma or equivalent.

Compliance Officers

Jackson area$59,810
Tennessee$63,960
U.S.$80,730

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Jackson area$53,960
Tennessee$56,310
U.S.$59,550

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 Lane College, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Lane College

Lane College Criminal Justice questions

How much do Lane College Criminal Justice graduates earn?

Criminal Justice graduates of Lane College earn a median $45,008 four years after graduating and $35,917 one year after. The U.S. median for Criminal Justice graduates across 584 colleges is $55,208.

How much debt do Lane College Criminal Justice graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Criminal Justice graduates of Lane College is $38,680, about 86% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is Lane College a good school for Criminal Justice in Tennessee?

On pay, Criminal Justice graduates of Lane College earn $45,008 four years out, $4,900 below the median for the same major across 12 Tennessee colleges ($49,908) and $10,200 below the U.S. median ($55,208). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Lane College rank for Criminal Justice in Tennessee?

Of 12 Tennessee colleges reporting Criminal Justice graduate earnings, Lane College ranks 11th. The highest is Bethel University at $62,967.

What jobs do Criminal Justice graduates get?

A common career is police officer, with a median wage of $53,320 in the Jackson, TN area and $76,210 nationally. Others include compliance officers and child, family, and school social workers.

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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
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Cite this: “Lane College Criminal Justice: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/lane-college/majors/criminal-justice (College Scorecard and BLS data).