Criminal Justice and Corrections at Columbia College

The small sample size here makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions, but the available data raises real questions about trajectory. First-year earnings of $47,941 put this program well above both the Missouri median ($39,522) and national average ($33,269). However, by year four, earnings drop to $36,612—a 24% decline that's unusual for any career field and particularly concerning for law enforcement careers that typically offer steady advancement.

The debt picture compounds this worry. At $28,938, graduates carry roughly double the national median for criminal justice associate degrees and substantially more than Missouri's state median of $23,147. When earnings are falling rather than rising, that debt burden becomes harder to manage over time. The debt-to-earnings ratio starts at a reasonable 0.60, but if year-four earnings reflect the actual earning pattern, repayment becomes more challenging.

With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers could reflect unusual individual circumstances rather than a predictable pattern. Still, parents should investigate what's driving that earnings decline—are graduates switching careers, leaving law enforcement, or facing regional employment challenges? For an associate degree in this field, you'd typically expect stable or modestly growing earnings as graduates gain experience and seniority in corrections or law enforcement roles.