Criminal Justice and Corrections at Lackawanna College

Lackawanna College graduates earn about $3,500 below Pennsylvania's median for criminal justice degrees, placing them in the 40th percentile statewide—meaning six out of ten similar programs in the state produce better first-year outcomes. More concerning, graduates carry $35,851 in debt against starting pay of just under $34,000, creating a debt burden roughly equal to their entire first year of earnings. For context, the typical Pennsylvania criminal justice program leaves students with $27,000 in debt, nearly $9,000 less.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year, but the pattern is worth noting: graduates start well behind peers at programs like York College ($42,175) or DeSales University ($45,505), both of which are in-state alternatives. With 58% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on this degree to provide economic mobility, yet the debt-to-earnings picture suggests graduates may struggle with loan payments in those critical early years.

If your child is set on criminal justice in Pennsylvania, compare this carefully against other state programs where starting salaries run $8,000-$15,000 higher with similar or lower debt loads. The financial math simply works better elsewhere.