Criminal Justice and Corrections at Jamestown Community College

Jamestown Community College's criminal justice program starts graduates at just $25,684—about $8,000 below the state median and in the bottom 5% nationally. That's barely above minimum wage for full-time work, and while the $10,250 debt load is manageable compared to national figures, it still represents nearly half a year's starting salary.

The silver lining is substantial earnings growth: graduates see a 43% jump to $36,736 by year four, pulling ahead of the state median. This suggests students who stick with the field can eventually reach respectable earnings, though neighboring SUNY Broome gets its graduates to $40,721 right out of the gate—money that compounds over those crucial early career years. Within New York's 54 programs, Jamestown ranks at just the 25th percentile, meaning three-quarters of comparable programs deliver better starting outcomes.

For parents, this is a program where patience is required. Your child will likely struggle financially in those first few years, even without significant debt. If law enforcement or corrections is truly their passion and they're willing to wait for better earnings, the low debt makes this viable. But given the availability of stronger-performing community college options across New York, it's worth exploring whether a similar program elsewhere might offer a faster path to financial stability.