Criminal Justice and Corrections at Carrington College-Stockton

Carrington College-Stockton's Criminal Justice certificate produces surprisingly different outcomes depending on your frame of reference. Nationally, graduates earn just $30,217 their first year—less than two-thirds of the national median for similar programs. But within California's crowded market of 106 criminal justice programs, this performance is actually solidly middle-of-the-pack, landing in the 60th percentile statewide.

The debt picture offers some relief. At $8,045, graduates carry significantly less debt than both California's state median ($9,500) and the national figure ($13,355), keeping the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.27. For a school serving predominantly low-income students (60% receive Pell grants), that relatively light debt load matters. However, the stark gap between these earnings and California's top-performing community college programs—some producing graduates earning $70,000-$110,000—reveals how much program selection matters in this field.

The reality is that $30,000 annually represents challenging economics in Stockton's cost-of-living environment. While the modest debt won't create crushing burdens, your child would be starting a career at wages that demand careful financial management. If California criminal justice work is the goal and flexibility around location exists, those community college alternatives offer dramatically stronger earning potential with comparable or lower debt.