Top Ranked Programs
Sam Houston State University's program mix is anchored in Security & Protective Services, which accounts for 19% of graduates — a concentration that reflects the university's well-known criminal justice and corrections programs. Education represents 7% of degree output, and Arts accounts for 5%, giving the institution a applied-professional orientation overall. Criminal Justice is the largest program with 838 graduates, followed by Teacher Education (296 graduates), Business/Commerce, General (263 graduates), Psychology, General (243 graduates), and Communication and Media Studies (186 graduates). Across 59 programs serving roughly 4,235 students annually, 46 meet Azimuth's [ranking threshold](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The strongest earnings come from health and business fields. Nursing leads with median earnings of $91,697 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #116 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Business/Commerce, General program graduates 263 students and earns $63,837, while Azimuth ranks Kinesiology #75 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $57,341. Criminal Justice combines strong enrollment scale with solid pay, making it a key driver of the institution's overall earnings profile. Nursing and health programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly into in-demand roles, and four-year earnings reflect real labor-market outcomes. Criminal Justice, by contrast, is a field where four-year earnings may understate long-term trajectory for graduates who continue to law school or federal service. The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with national labor-market demand. ```