Criminal Justice and Corrections at Fulton-Montgomery Community College

Starting salaries around $32,000 make this one of the tougher financial propositions among associate degree programs, though Fulton-Montgomery's graduates see meaningful income growth—reaching $44,187 by year four represents a 38% jump that outpaces many peer programs. Within New York's crowded criminal justice landscape, this program lands squarely in the middle, ranking at the 60th percentile statewide. The $13,300 debt load is manageable and below both state and national medians, giving graduates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 that won't derail their financial trajectory.

The real challenge here isn't the debt—it's the starting wage ceiling. Top-performing New York programs like SUNY Broome ($40,721) and Genesee ($38,483) demonstrate that community college criminal justice grads can earn substantially more right out of the gate. That $8,000-10,000 difference in year-one earnings compounds over time. Fulton-Montgomery's strong year-four numbers suggest graduates do advance, but they're playing catch-up from a lower baseline.

The small sample size here matters—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outlier earners could skew these figures either direction. For families looking at this field, the low debt provides a safety net, but students serious about maximizing earning potential should compare carefully against Broome, Genesee, or Herkimer programs that deliver stronger immediate returns for similar investment.