---
title: Is a Homeland Security degree worth the debt?
cip: 4303
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Homeland Security degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **28** colleges (28 of 28 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $42,325 ($42,961 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $22,372 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.50× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $35,736–$50,046 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Bachelor's | $42,325 | $22,372 | 0.50× | 28 | 28/28 |
| Master's | $62,371 | $37,075 | 0.58× | 23 | 23/23 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Union Institute & University | $125,347 | $12,500 |
| National University (CA) | $71,714 | $23,437 |
| Grand Canyon University (AZ) | $63,625 | $25,616 |
| Columbia College (SC) | $56,728 | $25,122 |
| Waldorf University (IA) | $54,510 | $22,000 |
| Capella University (MN) | $52,731 | — |
| American Public University System (WV) | $51,985 | $24,942 |
| Utica University (NY) | $49,399 | $25,000 |
| Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale (FL) | $48,230 | $45,104 |
| Saint Leo University (FL) | $45,227 | — |
| University of Central Missouri (MO) | $44,876 | — |
| University of Phoenix-Arizona (AZ) | $44,554 | — |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK) | $44,057 | — |
| University of North Texas (TX) | $42,579 | $17,023 |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus (ND) | $42,071 | $27,000 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/homeland-security.jsonld` · `/education/fields/homeland-security.json`