Criminal Justice and Corrections at Bryant & Stratton College-Albany

This certificate sits right at the median for New York criminal justice programs, but that's actually bad news—the entire state lags dramatically behind the national picture. While Bryant & Stratton-Albany matches the state's $28,070 median, that figure ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, where the typical graduate earns $48,388. Consider what that means: community colleges across New York—Monroe, Erie, Jamestown—are placing graduates into jobs paying $50,000 to $85,000, more than double what this program delivers.

The debt load of $14,860 seems manageable at first glance, requiring about six months of gross earnings to repay. But that calculation assumes full-time work at these modest wages, and it ignores the opportunity cost. For a population where 65% qualify for Pell grants, investing time and money into a credential that yields near-minimum-wage outcomes ($13.50/hour at full-time) is problematic. The gap between New York's top performers and this program suggests something structural—perhaps differences in law enforcement connections, geographic placement, or program design.

If your child is set on criminal justice in New York, the community college alternatives offer dramatically better returns without significantly different debt loads. This certificate might serve as a quick entry point to employment, but it's not positioning graduates for the career advancement that justifies higher education investment.