Criminal Justice and Corrections at College of the Mainland

A $48,704 first-year salary paired with an estimated $13,925 in debt creates a manageable 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio—you'd owe less than 30 cents for every dollar earned in year one. That math works in your favor. But context matters here: similar criminal justice certificate programs in Texas typically produce median earnings of $55,230, putting College of the Mainland's outcomes about $6,500 below that state benchmark. Nearby Texas community colleges like Galveston College and Alvin Community College report their graduates earning in the $60,000-$70,000 range in comparable programs.

The debt estimate comes from peer programs across Texas since this school's graduate cohort was too small for the DOE to publish actual figures. That means you're looking at what similar students at similar schools typically borrow, not what College of the Mainland graduates specifically owe. The earnings figure is actual data for this program, which makes it more reliable—and it shows outcomes squarely in the middle nationally but lagging behind Texas peers.

For parents, the central question is whether this certificate justifies choosing College of the Mainland over nearby alternatives that appear to produce stronger outcomes. The debt burden won't cripple anyone, but you'd want clarity on why graduates here earn less than at other local options before committing. Talk to the school about job placement rates and employer partnerships—those connections often explain the earnings gap between similar programs.