Criminal Justice and Corrections at Brookline College-Albuquerque

Brookline College's criminal justice program carries a warning label: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers are sketchy at best. That said, what they suggest isn't encouraging. Students here graduate with $38,878 in debt—nearly double New Mexico's typical debt load for this degree and almost 50% more than the national median. They're earning $33,962 a year later, which puts them above New Mexico's state median but well below what graduates nationwide typically make.

The debt picture is particularly stark when you look at in-state alternatives. University of New Mexico graduates earn $38,370 with presumably lower debt as a public institution. Even Western New Mexico University matches Brookline's earnings at $32,386, likely without the $38,878 price tag. The program does show 7% earnings growth over four years, reaching $36,180, but that's still not enough to make the debt equation work comfortably.

For families considering this program, the small sample size means these numbers could swing dramatically with just a few graduates' outcomes. Combined with debt that exceeds first-year earnings, this represents a risky investment when New Mexico's public universities offer criminal justice degrees with better debt profiles and comparable or superior earnings potential.