Criminal Justice and Corrections at Arapahoe Community College

Arapahoe Community College's Criminal Justice certificate sits in an awkward middle ground: it beats national averages handily but falls short of what other Colorado schools deliver. With first-year earnings of $54,371, graduates earn $6,000 more than the national median for this credential—but they also trail the Colorado state median by about $2,300. That gap widens when you look at top performers: Red Rocks and Front Range Community College graduates earn $15,000-$18,000 more annually, suggesting location or employer connections matter significantly in this field.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $21,351, borrowing sits in the 5th percentile nationally (meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with more debt), and the 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates can manage payments. The 14% earnings growth to $61,824 by year four shows steady career progression. However, students should ask why this program underperforms compared to other Front Range community colleges when the curriculum and career paths should be similar.

For Colorado families, this matters: if your student can access Red Rocks or Front Range instead, the $15,000+ annual earnings difference compounds dramatically over a career. If Arapahoe is the most convenient option, the program still offers reasonable debt and above-average national outcomes—just understand you're paying similar tuition for notably lower returns than neighboring schools deliver.