Which state pays criminal justice associate's graduates the most?

Minnesota, where the median program pays its graduates $50,959 in their first year, the highest of 13 state rankings. Michigan is next, at $44,635.

Which criminal justice associate's program pays the most?

Columbia Southern University in Alabama reports the highest first-year pay of the 242 programs ranked here, $58,241. Its median federal debt is $17,078.

How much debt do criminal justice associate's graduates have?

The median program leaves its graduates with $12,524 in federal debt. Across programs, the median debt is 37% of first-year pay.

Highest-Paying Criminal Justice (Associate's) Programs in the US

246 programs report first-year pay
13 state rankings
Associate's in Criminal Justice and Corrections

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

The median criminal justice associate's program in the US pays its graduates $33,350 in their first year and $45,011 five years after. Minnesota has the highest state median ($50,959), and New Jersey the lowest ($29,226). The median program leaves its graduates with $12,524 in federal debt.

Median first-year pay$33,350Across 246 programs

Median pay after 5 years$45,011Across 429 programs

Median federal debt$12,524Across 242 programs

Debt-to-earnings37%Across 195 programs

All 242 programs, ranked by graduate pay

Each program is ranked by the median pay of its graduates one year after they finished, from College Scorecard. This measures what graduates earn, not how good the teaching is. Pay also depends on where graduates live and work. Programs that don't report a figure are listed last when you sort by it.

#	School	Year 1 pay	After cost of living	Year 5 pay	Debt	Debt to pay
1	Columbia Southern UniversityOrange Beach, AL · private for-profit	$58,241	Not adjusted	$62,396	$17,078	29%
2	Minnesota North CollegeHibbing, MN · public	$54,328	$55,088	$62,955	Not reported	Not reported
3	Century College (Minnesota)White Bear Lake, MN · public	$54,174	$54,932	$49,722	$19,366	36%
4	North Hennepin Community CollegeBrooklyn Park, MN · public	$53,797	$54,549	$49,517	$30,250	56%
5	Northwestern Michigan CollegeTraverse City, MI · public	$52,976	$55,059	$48,384	Not reported	Not reported
6	Inver Hills Community CollegeInver Grove Heights, MN · public	$52,724	$53,461	$56,206	$23,690	45%
7	Oakland Community CollegeAuburn Hills, MI · public	$51,827	$53,865	$68,864	$13,506	26%
8	Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore, WI · public	$51,806	$55,057	$49,858	$12,750	25%
9	Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeCloquet, MN · public	$51,144	$51,859	$52,735	$15,665	31%
10	Minneapolis Community and Technical CollegeMinneapolis, MN · public	$50,959	$51,672	$45,292	$30,000	59%
11	Purdue GlobalWest Lafayette, IN · public	$50,881	Not adjusted	$43,411	$8,416	17%
12	Rochester Community and Technical CollegeRochester, MN · public	$50,418	$51,123	$52,390	$14,470	29%
13	Hawkeye Community CollegeWaterloo, IA · public	$49,572	$56,485	$54,434	$11,000	22%
14	Southeast Technical CollegeSioux Falls, SD · public	$49,560	Not adjusted	$49,537	$12,000	24%
15	Schoolcraft Community College DistrictLivonia, MI · public	$49,224	$51,159	$63,463	$11,868	24%
16	Ridgewater CollegeWillmar, MN · public	$49,040	$49,726	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
17	Ferris StateBig Rapids, MI · public	$48,203	$50,098	$62,783	$18,500	38%
18	Grand Rapids Community CollegeGrand Rapids, MI · public	$48,049	$49,938	$37,695	$12,101	25%
19	Montgomery County Community CollegeBlue Bell, PA · public	$47,990	$49,184	$53,757	$13,335	28%
20	Columbia College (Missouri)Columbia, MO · private nonprofit	$47,941	Not adjusted	$41,683	$28,938	60%
21	Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, MA · public	$47,573	$44,983	$56,124	$5,500	12%
22	Rasmussen UniversitySt. Cloud, MN · private for-profit	$47,447	$48,110	$49,266	$24,408	51%
23	North Central State CollegeMansfield, OH · public	$47,397	$51,089	Not reported	$10,782	23%
24	Northland Community and Technical CollegeThief River Falls, MN · public	$47,216	$47,876	$52,248	$12,138	26%
25	American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV · private for-profit	$46,978	Not adjusted	$46,482	$23,486	50%
26	Alexandria Technical & Community CollegeAlexandria, MN · public	$46,511	$47,161	$59,835	$12,000	26%
27	Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeWellesley Hills, MA · public	$45,144	$42,687	$49,823	$6,333	14%
28	Portland Community CollegePortland, OR · public	$45,061	$43,596	$46,875	$24,000	53%
29	Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake, WI · public	$44,966	Not adjusted	Not reported	$10,252	23%
30	Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME · public	$44,869	$46,233	$52,803	$8,750	20%
31	Delta CollegeUniversity Center, MI · public	$44,637	$46,392	$47,258	$9,784	22%
32	Lake Superior StateSault Ste Marie, MI · public	$44,635	$46,390	$62,598	$14,375	32%
33	Central Piedmont Community CollegeCharlotte, NC · public	$44,616	$47,300	$50,524	Not reported	Not reported
34	York Technical CollegeRock Hill, SC · public	$44,401	$47,362	$49,286	$8,500	19%
35	Baker CollegeOwosso, MI · private nonprofit	$44,354	$46,098	$41,758	$18,298	41%
36	Ohio UniversityAthens, OH · public	$44,159	$47,598	$54,874	$13,500	31%
37	Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, UT · public	$44,042	$44,548	$57,675	$6,334	14%
38	Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City, IA · public	$43,547	Not adjusted	$51,330	$11,500	26%
39	Liberty UniversityLynchburg, VA · private nonprofit	$43,287	Not adjusted	$46,657	$28,917	67%
40	Central Maine Community CollegeAuburn, ME · public	$43,112	$44,422	$58,787	$11,000	26%
41	SNHUManchester, NH · private nonprofit	$42,957	Not adjusted	$61,744	$22,232	52%
42	Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, IA · public	$42,555	$48,489	$44,408	$12,000	28%
43	Pima Community CollegeTucson, AZ · public	$42,096	$41,813	$49,049	$7,562	18%
44	Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA · public	$41,796	$39,521	$52,409	$10,950	26%
45	Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee, WI · public	$41,591	$44,201	$45,268	$14,125	34%
46	Spokane Community CollegeSpokane, WA · public	$41,451	$38,735	$54,655	Not reported	Not reported
47	Lake Area Technical CollegeWatertown, SD · public	$41,230	$46,542	Not reported	$12,000	29%
48	University of PhoenixPhoenix, AZ · private for-profit	$41,153	Not adjusted	$42,054	$25,245	61%
49	SUNY Broome Community CollegeBinghamton, NY · public	$40,721	$37,732	$49,154	$11,674	29%
50	NHTI-Concord's Community CollegeConcord, NH · public	$40,670	$39,044	$50,054	$12,000	30%
51	Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville, WI · public	$40,164	$42,685	$43,238	$10,493	26%
52	Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewark, OH · public	$40,065	$43,186	$53,096	Not reported	Not reported
53	Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA · public	$40,039	$37,859	$50,362	$16,250	41%
54	Vance-Granville Community CollegeHenderson, NC · public	$39,750	$42,141	$42,453	Not reported	Not reported
55	Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI · public	$39,571	$42,054	$56,146	$12,000	30%
56	Central Texas CollegeKilleen, TX · public	$39,465	Not adjusted	Not reported	$10,521	27%
57	Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA · public	$39,426	Not adjusted	$48,911	$7,432	19%
58	Northcentral Technical CollegeWausau, WI · public	$39,421	$41,895	$49,985	$9,750	25%
59	Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI · public	$39,174	$41,632	Not reported	$13,750	35%
60	Jackson CollegeJackson, MI · public	$39,162	$40,702	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
61	Iowa Central Community CollegeFort Dodge, IA · public	$39,121	$44,576	$51,828	$14,473	37%
62	University of Arkansas GranthamLIttle Rock, AR · public	$39,043	Not adjusted	$38,612	$25,422	65%
63	Wytheville Community CollegeWytheville, VA · public	$38,907	$38,482	$40,904	Not reported	Not reported
64	Gateway Technical CollegeKenosha, WI · public	$38,881	$41,321	$53,460	$13,417	35%
65	Owens Community CollegePerrysburg, OH · public	$38,671	$41,683	$48,220	$17,776	46%
66	Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH · public	$38,595	$41,601	$46,113	$7,149	19%
67	Indiana Wesleyan University-MarionMarion, IN · private nonprofit	$38,495	Not adjusted	$40,765	$25,537	66%
68	Genesee Community CollegeBatavia, NY · public	$38,483	$35,658	$46,783	$11,500	30%
69	William Rainey Harper CollegePalatine, IL · public	$38,474	$38,490	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
70	University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH · public	$38,399	$41,390	$55,844	$16,799	44%
71	Milwaukee Area Technical CollegeMilwaukee, WI · public	$38,027	$40,413	$50,823	$18,082	48%
72	Central Oregon Community CollegeBend, OR · public	$37,992	$36,757	$45,081	Not reported	Not reported
73	Harrisburg Area Community CollegeHarrisburg, PA · public	$37,916	$38,860	$45,136	$15,750	42%
74	Chippewa Valley Technical CollegeEau Claire, WI · public	$37,671	$40,035	$55,472	$11,739	31%
75	Herkimer County Community CollegeHerkimer, NY · public	$37,597	$34,838	$43,919	$12,000	32%
76	Lone Star College SystemThe Woodlands, TX · public	$37,578	$38,717	$44,374	$10,542	28%
77	Holyoke Community CollegeHolyoke, MA · public	$37,533	$35,490	$53,689	$5,658	15%
78	Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL · private nonprofit	$37,236	Not adjusted	$65,595	$30,452	82%
79	Dallas CollegeDallas, TX · public	$37,202	$38,330	$46,162	$11,457	31%
80	Austin Community College DistrictAustin, TX · public	$37,119	$38,245	$42,478	$14,255	38%
81	Springfield Technical Community CollegeSpringfield, MA · public	$37,044	$35,027	$44,481	$7,500	20%
82	Massasoit Community CollegeBrockton, MA · public	$36,927	$34,917	$50,558	$10,875	29%
83	Mohawk Valley Community CollegeUtica, NY · public	$36,754	$34,056	Not reported	$12,500	34%
84	Northeast Wisconsin Technical CollegeGreen Bay, WI · public	$36,713	$39,017	$48,581	Not reported	Not reported
85	Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA · public	$36,706	$34,708	$49,214	$6,700	18%
86	YTI Career Institute-YorkYork, PA · private for-profit	$36,634	$37,546	$46,590	$18,500	50%
87	Seminole State College of FloridaSanford, FL · public	$36,589	Not adjusted	$48,677	$12,942	35%
88	Clinton Community CollegePlattsburgh, NY · public	$36,546	$33,864	$44,051	$12,000	33%
89	Davidson-Davie Community CollegeThomasville, NC · public	$36,213	$38,391	Not reported	$19,795	55%
90	Orange County Community CollegeMiddletown, NY · public	$36,111	$33,461	$52,001	$14,250	39%
91	Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellville, AR · public	$36,076	$41,497	$45,728	$25,570	71%
92	Baton Rouge Community CollegeBaton Rouge, LA · public	$36,066	$40,888	$45,818	$25,597	71%
93	Carrington College-SacramentoSacramento, CA · private for-profit	$35,994	$32,509	$41,940	$16,374	45%
94	Amarillo CollegeAmarillo, TX · public	$35,952	$37,042	$48,011	$16,624	46%
95	Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM · public	$35,865	$38,894	$42,545	Not reported	Not reported
96	Tri-County Technical CollegePendleton, SC · public	$35,726	$38,108	$45,011	Not reported	Not reported
97	George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleHanceville, AL · public	$35,238	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
98	University of AkronAkron, OH · public	$35,094	$37,827	$46,433	$15,625	45%
99	Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, OH · public	$35,014	$37,741	$47,319	$16,350	47%
100	National Park CollegeHot Springs, AR · public	$34,904	Not adjusted	$34,416	Not reported	Not reported
101	Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · public	$34,873	$35,741	$49,179	Not reported	Not reported
102	San Antonio CollegeSan Antonio, TX · public	$34,867	$35,924	$42,793	$13,003	37%
103	Vincennes UniversityVincennes, IN · public	$34,748	$37,232	$45,303	$14,143	41%
104	Hartnell CollegeSalinas, CA · public	$34,648	$31,293	$37,575	Not reported	Not reported
105	Broward CollegeFort Lauderdale, FL · public	$34,607	$33,465	$44,288	$10,724	31%
106	McLennan Community CollegeWaco, TX · public	$34,468	$35,513	$46,309	$12,606	37%
107	Columbia-Greene Community CollegeHudson, NY · public	$34,411	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
108	Guilford Technical Community CollegeJamestown, NC · public	$34,400	$36,469	$38,914	$18,500	54%
109	Indiana Institute of TechnologyFort Wayne, IN · private nonprofit	$34,328	$36,782	$38,070	$39,034	114%
110	Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN · public	$34,299	$36,751	$43,079	$11,193	33%
111	Community College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA · public	$34,224	$35,076	$45,761	$14,250	42%
112	Jefferson Community CollegeWatertown, NY · public	$34,219	$31,707	$45,670	$12,620	37%
113	Brightpoint Community CollegeChester, VA · public	$34,171	$33,798	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
114	Mott Community CollegeFlint, MI · public	$34,127	$35,469	$40,326	$16,781	49%
115	Hocking CollegeNelsonville, OH · public	$33,845	Not adjusted	$46,437	$14,750	44%
116	Moraine Park Technical CollegeFond du Lac, WI · public	$33,824	$35,947	$46,335	Not reported	Not reported
117	Delaware Technical Community College-TerryDover, DE · public	$33,737	$33,802	$42,644	$7,000	21%
118	Howard CollegeBig Spring, TX · public	$33,724	$34,747	$41,556	$13,278	39%
119	Mt San Antonio CollegeWalnut, CA · public	$33,692	$30,430	$56,896	Not reported	Not reported
120	Chemeketa Community CollegeSalem, OR · public	$33,406	$32,320	$46,862	Not reported	Not reported
121	Berkeley College-New YorkNew York, NY · private for-profit	$33,365	$30,916	$51,817	$22,903	69%
122	San Joaquin Valley College-VisaliaVisalia, CA · private for-profit	$33,361	$30,131	$44,717	$19,125	57%
123	Lehigh Carbon Community CollegeSchnecksville, PA · public	$33,360	$34,190	$46,407	$11,000	33%
124	Erie Community CollegeBuffalo, NY · public	$33,340	$30,893	$45,590	$8,750	26%
125	Jefferson Community and Technical CollegeLouisville, KY · public	$33,316	$36,952	$45,434	$11,516	35%
126	Greenville Technical CollegeGreenville, SC · public	$33,307	$35,528	$40,921	$15,475	46%
127	Keiser UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · private nonprofit	$33,292	$32,193	$43,026	$25,366	76%
128	Valencia CollegeOrlando, FL · public	$33,246	$32,148	$35,792	$10,500	32%
129	SUNY Corning Community CollegeCorning, NY · public	$33,166	$30,732	$49,758	$12,000	36%
130	Northeast Community CollegeNorfolk, NE · public	$33,064	Not adjusted	$43,389	$9,000	27%
131	Pitt Community CollegeWinterville, NC · public	$33,018	$35,004	$40,672	$15,900	48%
132	Hillsborough CollegeTampa, FL · public	$33,013	$31,923	$43,586	$12,654	38%
133	Itawamba Community CollegeFulton, MS · public	$32,996	$37,947	$39,025	Not reported	Not reported
134	Community College of Allegheny CountyPittsburgh, PA · public	$32,921	$33,740	$48,215	$12,004	36%
135	Luzerne County Community CollegeNanticoke, PA · public	$32,847	$33,664	$46,722	$12,000	37%
136	Northwest Vista CollegeSan Antonio, TX · public	$32,807	$33,802	$42,633	$7,627	23%
137	Piedmont Technical CollegeGreenwood, SC · public	$32,721	$34,903	$42,853	$20,650	63%
138	Middlesex CollegeEdison, NJ · public	$32,712	$30,065	$49,368	$8,119	25%
139	St Clair County Community CollegePort Huron, MI · public	$32,691	$33,976	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
140	College of the DesertPalm Desert, CA · public	$32,482	$29,337	$60,488	Not reported	Not reported
141	North Shore Community CollegeDanvers, MA · public	$32,379	$30,616	$55,146	$9,656	30%
142	Bossier Parish Community CollegeBossier City, LA · public	$32,318	$36,639	$30,308	$21,500	67%
143	Tarrant County College DistrictFort Worth, TX · public	$32,315	$33,295	$40,832	$16,262	50%
144	Bryant & Stratton College-BuffaloBuffalo, NY · private nonprofit	$32,211	$29,847	$35,000	$22,960	71%
145	Sussex County Community CollegeNewton, NJ · public	$32,079	Not adjusted	$41,832	$9,875	31%
146	Fulton-Montgomery Community CollegeJohnstown, NY · public	$31,935	$29,591	$52,212	$13,300	42%
147	Sullivan County Community CollegeLoch Sheldrake, NY · public	$31,918	Not adjusted	$42,475	Not reported	Not reported
148	Essex County CollegeNewark, NJ · public	$31,908	$29,326	$44,582	Not reported	Not reported
149	Mt San Jacinto Community College DistrictSan Jacinto, CA · public	$31,764	$28,689	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
150	Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL · public	$31,763	$31,776	$56,190	$9,120	29%
151	North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesville, GA · public	$31,698	$32,918	$38,089	Not reported	Not reported
152	Suffolk County Community CollegeSelden, NY · public	$31,617	$29,296	$51,987	$7,625	24%
153	Victor Valley CollegeVictorville, CA · public	$31,600	$28,540	$52,752	Not reported	Not reported
154	Pennsylvania Highlands Community CollegeJohnstown, PA · public	$31,499	$32,283	$46,740	$11,315	36%
155	Northampton County Area Community CollegeBethlehem, PA · public	$31,430	$32,212	$47,582	$17,449	56%
156	Connecticut State Community CollegeNew Britain, CT · public	$31,345	$30,253	$48,075	Not reported	Not reported
157	SUNY AdirondackQueensbury, NY · public	$31,344	$29,043	$40,423	$12,000	38%
158	Brookline College-PhoenixPhoenix, AZ · private for-profit	$31,295	$31,085	$35,658	$20,000	64%
159	North Country Community CollegeSaranac Lake, NY · public	$31,175	$28,887	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
160	Sacramento City CollegeSacramento, CA · public	$31,146	$28,130	$58,913	$11,760	38%
161	Morton CollegeCicero, IL · public	$31,143	$31,156	$41,713	Not reported	Not reported
162	Missouri Southern StateJoplin, MO · public	$31,103	$34,248	$42,119	$23,147	74%
163	Merced CollegeMerced, CA · public	$31,050	$28,044	$41,676	Not reported	Not reported
164	Southwestern College (California)Chula Vista, CA · public	$30,983	$27,983	$59,282	Not reported	Not reported
165	Horry-Georgetown Technical CollegeConway, SC · public	$30,840	$32,896	$42,298	$15,500	50%
166	UCNJ Union College of Union County New JerseyCranford, NJ · public	$30,629	$28,150	$51,857	$11,343	37%
167	Brookdale Community CollegeLincroft, NJ · public	$30,595	$28,119	$51,052	$9,721	32%
168	Miller-Motte College-ChattanoogaChattanooga, TN · private for-profit	$30,539	$33,242	$34,449	$29,517	97%
169	College of Southern IdahoTwin Falls, ID · public	$30,479	$31,917	$40,948	$11,130	37%
170	Blinn College DistrictBrenham, TX · public	$30,374	$31,295	$44,392	$14,230	47%
171	Lemoore CollegeLemoore, CA · public	$30,325	$27,389	$36,494	$7,182	24%
171	Post UniversityWaterbury, CT · private for-profit	$30,325	Not adjusted	$47,819	$33,638	111%
173	Coalinga CollegeCoalinga, CA · public	$30,315	$27,380	Not reported	$9,331	31%
174	Community College of Rhode IslandWarwick, RI · public	$30,219	$29,545	$54,149	$12,000	40%
175	Alpena Community CollegeAlpena, MI · public	$30,201	$31,388	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
176	Tyler Junior CollegeTyler, TX · public	$30,127	$31,041	$41,922	$12,000	40%
177	Hudson Valley Community CollegeTroy, NY · public	$30,093	$27,884	$49,768	$10,700	36%
178	SUNY College of Technology at CantonCanton, NY · public	$29,951	$27,753	$36,425	$14,221	47%
179	Nassau Community CollegeGarden City, NY · public	$29,837	$27,647	$51,338	$10,750	36%
180	Rockland Community CollegeSuffern, NY · public	$29,633	$27,458	$49,504	$10,510	35%
181	Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, NY · public	$29,606	$27,433	$41,604	$6,167	21%
182	Fresno City CollegeFresno, CA · public	$29,467	$26,614	$48,076	$6,187	21%
183	Berkeley College-Woodland ParkWoodland Park, NJ · private for-profit	$29,460	$27,076	$48,404	$16,716	57%
184	Big Sandy Community and Technical CollegePrestonsburg, KY · public	$29,432	Not adjusted	$46,379	Not reported	Not reported
185	Delgado Community CollegeNew Orleans, LA · public	$29,276	$33,190	$34,181	$30,687	105%
186	Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester CampusSewell, NJ · public	$28,991	$26,645	$47,520	$12,000	41%
187	Bronx Community CollegeBronx, NY · public	$28,940	$26,816	$48,039	$6,021	21%
188	College of the SequoiasVisalia, CA · public	$28,851	$26,058	$42,479	Not reported	Not reported
189	Mississippi Gulf Coast Community CollegePerkinston, MS · public	$28,817	Not adjusted	$33,464	$10,000	35%
190	College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, IL · public	$28,749	$28,761	Not reported	$7,521	26%
191	Central Carolina Community CollegeSanford, NC · public	$28,734	$30,462	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
192	Bucks County Community CollegeNewtown, PA · public	$28,719	$29,434	$50,544	$10,169	35%
193	Monroe Community CollegeRochester, NY · public	$28,631	$26,530	$51,391	$11,000	38%
194	American InterContinental University SystemChandler, AZ · private for-profit	$28,600	Not adjusted	$35,447	$27,750	97%
195	Metropolitan Community College AreaOmaha, NE · public	$28,511	$31,643	$44,862	$13,462	47%
196	Pasadena City CollegePasadena, CA · public	$28,492	$25,733	$39,073	Not reported	Not reported
197	Southeast Community College AreaLincoln, NE · public	$28,473	$31,601	$46,252	$14,552	51%
198	Hostos Community CollegeBronx, NY · public	$28,343	$26,263	$48,198	$6,256	22%
199	College of Western IdahoNampa, ID · public	$28,234	$29,566	$41,405	$9,261	33%
200	Antelope Valley Community College DistrictLancaster, CA · public	$28,211	$25,480	$46,648	$9,970	35%
201	Modesto Junior CollegeModesto, CA · public	$28,102	$25,381	$49,543	Not reported	Not reported
202	Collin County Community College DistrictMcKinney, TX · public	$28,066	$28,917	$52,157	$9,687	35%
203	Generations CollegeChicago, IL · private nonprofit	$28,031	$28,043	Not reported	$22,366	80%
204	Niagara County Community CollegeSanborn, NY · public	$27,970	$25,917	$53,930	$11,000	39%
205	Rowan College at Burlington CountyMount Laurel, NJ · public	$27,775	$25,527	$49,134	$10,000	36%
206	New Mexico StateLas Cruces, NM · public	$27,638	$29,972	$36,982	$7,425	27%
207	Camden County CollegeBlackwood, NJ · public	$27,603	$25,369	$48,280	$11,000	40%
208	Western Dakota Technical CollegeRapid City, SD · public	$27,459	$30,997	$49,288	$17,999	66%
209	Ocean County CollegeToms River, NJ · public	$27,321	$25,110	$46,885	$11,000	40%
210	Imperial Valley CollegeImperial, CA · public	$27,313	$24,669	$38,973	Not reported	Not reported
211	Mount Wachusett Community CollegeGardner, MA · public	$27,226	$25,744	$45,851	$13,753	51%
212	Onondaga Community CollegeSyracuse, NY · public	$27,074	$25,087	$43,735	$11,000	41%
213	Remington College-Dallas CampusDallas, TX · private nonprofit	$26,952	$27,769	$30,721	$22,119	82%
214	Queensborough Community CollegeBayside, NY · public	$26,907	$24,932	$45,732	$8,884	33%
215	Dutchess Community CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · public	$26,891	$24,917	$47,438	$11,515	43%
216	Georgia Military CollegeMilledgeville, GA · public	$26,636	$27,661	Not reported	$12,401	47%
217	Henry Ford CollegeDearborn, MI · public	$26,336	$27,371	$52,948	$15,200	58%
218	College of Southern NevadaLas Vegas, NV · public	$26,301	$26,307	$39,823	$6,687	25%
219	Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolk, VA · public	$26,013	$25,729	$43,945	$14,795	57%
220	Texas Southmost CollegeBrownsville, TX · public	$25,923	$26,709	$40,587	$8,000	31%
221	Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale, NY · public	$25,853	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
222	El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, TX · public	$25,846	$26,630	$38,712	$6,084	24%
223	Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA · public	$25,824	$23,324	$40,644	Not reported	Not reported
224	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey CampusSan Juan, PR · private nonprofit	$25,779	Not adjusted	$23,822	$9,437	37%
225	South Texas CollegeMcAllen, TX · public	$25,738	$26,518	$36,079	$6,500	25%
226	Jamestown Community CollegeJamestown, NY · public	$25,684	$23,799	$44,924	$10,250	40%
227	LaGuardia Community CollegeLong Island City, NY · public	$25,515	$23,642	$43,643	$6,750	26%
228	BMCCNew York, NY · public	$25,302	$23,445	$49,837	$6,500	26%
229	Institute of Technology (California)Clovis, CA · private for-profit	$25,131	$22,698	$31,881	$13,852	55%
230	Holmes Community CollegeGoodman, MS · public	$24,853	$28,582	$33,846	Not reported	Not reported
231	Monroe UniversityBronx, NY · private for-profit	$24,567	$22,764	$43,457	$14,949	61%
232	Laredo CollegeLaredo, TX · public	$24,339	$25,077	$35,912	Not reported	Not reported
233	South CollegeKnoxville, TN · private for-profit	$24,095	Not adjusted	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
234	SOWELA Technical Community CollegeLake Charles, LA · public	$23,832	$27,018	$30,490	Not reported	Not reported
235	County College of MorrisRandolph, NJ · public	$23,024	$21,161	$47,996	$9,040	39%
236	San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA · public	$22,722	$20,522	$40,895	$8,250	36%
237	NUC UniversityBayamon, PR · private for-profit	$22,591	Not adjusted	$27,139	$15,466	68%
238	Lackawanna CollegeScranton, PA · private nonprofit	$22,394	$22,951	$36,152	$18,965	85%
239	Forsyth Technical Community CollegeWinston-Salem, NC · public	$22,389	$23,736	$43,228	Not reported	Not reported
240	Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia, SC · public	$20,266	$21,617	$40,524	$17,313	85%
241	Hudson County Community CollegeJersey City, NJ · public	$20,232	$18,595	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
242	Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina CampusCarolina, PR · private nonprofit	$18,249	Not adjusted	$26,352	$9,989	55%

Pay after cost of living divides first-year pay by the Bureau of Economic Analysis price level of the school's state, where the US average is 100. It is shown for 210 programs where at least half of the graduates who work are working in the school's state. The other 32, whose graduates mostly work in other states or whose state has no price level, are listed last when you sort by it.

51 programs report pay but not debt, so they are ranked only by pay.

College Scorecard withholds pay for programs with too few graduates, to protect their privacy, so those programs can't be ranked. 4 more programs report pay but aren't listed, because College Scorecard's school file doesn't name their schools. The national medians above still count them.

Criminal Justice (Associate's) programs by state

Each row is the median across the state's criminal justice associate's programs. State names link to the full ranking of that state's programs.

#	State	Programs	Year 1 pay	Debt
1	Minnesota	11	$50,959	$17,516
2	Michigan	13	$44,635	$13,506
3	Wisconsin	12	$39,298	$12,750
4	Ohio	9	$38,595	$15,136
5	Massachusetts	11	$37,533	$7,500
6	Indiana	5	$34,748	$14,143
7	Florida	6	$33,950	$12,942
8	Pennsylvania	12	$33,141	$12,547
9	South Carolina	6	$33,014	$15,500
10	Texas	18	$32,561	$12,303
11	New York	34	$30,634	$11,500
12	California	21	$30,325	$10,865
13	New Jersey	12	$29,226	$10,000

Programs in 28 more states and territories report pay, but too few to rank. A state ranking needs at least five programs that report both pay and debt.

Quick picks nationwide

Lowest median debt

Bunker Hill Community College, MA$5,500
Holyoke Community College, MA$5,658
Bronx Community College, NY$6,021
El Paso Community College, TX$6,084
Kingsborough Community College, NY$6,167
Fresno City College, CA$6,187
Hostos Community College, NY$6,256
Massachusetts Bay Community College, MA$6,333
South Texas College, TX$6,500
BMCC, NY$6,500

Lowest debt for the pay

Bunker Hill Community College, MA12%
Massachusetts Bay Community College, MA14%
Holyoke Community College, MA15%
Purdue Global, IN17%
Bristol Community College, MA18%
Cuyahoga Community College District, OH19%
Northern Essex Community College, MA19%
York Technical College, SC19%
Springfield Technical Community College, MA20%
Bronx Community College, NY21%

Only the 140 programs with their own page here are included. "Debt for the pay" is median debt divided by first-year pay.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to criminal justice, largest first. Pay is the median across the US and all experience levels.

Security Guards

$38,020

Median pay in the US. 1,283,470 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 156,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $30,210Top 10%: $58,840

Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers

$76,210

Median pay in the US. 670,520 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 51,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: high school diploma or equivalent.

Bottom 10%: $47,510Top 10%: $115,120

Compliance Officers

$80,730

Median pay in the US. 417,070 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 32,700 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,220Top 10%: $133,720

Child, Family, and School Social Workers

$59,550

Median pay in the US. 392,550 people work in this job in the US. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 33,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $42,280Top 10%: $95,530

Common questions

The median criminal justice associate's program in the US pays its graduates $33,350 in their first year and $45,011 five years after.

Criminal Justice (Bachelor's) programs in the US, ranked557 programs by pay and debt Criminal Justice (Certificate) programs in the US, ranked139 programs by pay and debt

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid, and earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Medians are across programs, not students: each program counts once, however many graduates it has.
National medians include every program in the 50 states, DC, and US territories, including schools that have since closed. Schools with several campuses that report one combined figure are counted once.
Programs are ranked by College Scorecard median pay one year after graduation. Pay after cost of living uses the price level of the school's state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024