Criminal Justice and Corrections at Caribbean University-Bayamon

This program's numbers demand caution, but not because they're outliers—they're actually typical for Puerto Rico's criminal justice programs. Caribbean-Bayamon graduates earn $15,127 in their first year, landing at the 40th percentile statewide, where the median for this degree is only $15,914. The problem is that Puerto Rico's entire criminal justice job market pays dramatically less than the mainland (the national median is $37,856). Even PR's top programs—like NUC University at $22,882—can't approach national averages.

The debt picture looks manageable at first glance: $13,500 against first-year earnings of $15,127 gives a ratio under 1.0. However, earnings nearly double by year four to $25,723, suggesting graduates start in very low-wage positions before finding better opportunities. With 75% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are already financially stretched, making even modest debt burdensome when paired with sub-$16,000 starting salaries.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly year to year, but the broader pattern is clear: criminal justice degrees in Puerto Rico lead to substantially lower earnings than on the mainland. If your child is committed to working in Puerto Rico's law enforcement or corrections system, understand they'll likely need supplemental income or a second job initially. If mainland opportunities are possible, they would dramatically improve the financial return on this degree.