Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degree) at Madison Area Technical College

Median Earnings (1yr)

$39,174

77th percentile

40th percentile in Wisconsin

Median Debt

$13,750

3% below national median

Analysis

Madison Area Technical College's criminal justice program lands in an interesting position: it significantly outperforms most programs nationally while sitting near the middle of the pack in Wisconsin. At $39,174 in first-year earnings, graduates earn nearly $6,000 more than the national median, placing this program in the 77th percentile nationally. However, Wisconsin has particularly strong criminal justice programs across its technical college system, and Madison's outcomes barely edge above the state median of $39,298.

The debt picture is manageable at $13,750, creating a 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio that most graduates should be able to handle comfortably. Within Wisconsin, though, several technical colleges deliver substantially higher earnings—Southwest Wisconsin and Rasmussen grads earn $12,000-$8,000 more annually. That earnings gap could translate to significantly faster debt payoff and better long-term financial stability, especially if your student is geographically flexible.

For students already living in the Madison area or committed to staying local for personal reasons, this program offers solid value with reasonable debt and earnings that support independent living. But if location is negotiable, exploring the top-performing Wisconsin technical colleges could yield meaningfully better returns on the same time investment and comparable tuition costs.

Where Madison Area Technical College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all criminal justice and corrections associates's programs nationally

Earnings Distribution

How Madison Area Technical College graduates compare to all programs nationally

Compare to Similar Programs in Wisconsin

Criminal Justice and Corrections associates's programs at peer institutions in Wisconsin (23 total in state)

Scroll to see more →

School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt	Debt/Earnings
Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison	$4,780	$39,174	—	$13,750	0.35
Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore	$4,796	$51,806	$43,336	$12,750	0.25
Rasmussen University-WisconsinGreen Bay	$11,982	$47,447	$45,519	$24,408	0.51
Northwood Technical CollegeRice Lake	$4,524	$44,966	—	$10,252	0.23
Waukesha County Technical CollegePewaukee	$4,720	$41,591	$39,899	$14,125	0.34
Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville	$4,170	$40,164	$36,298	$10,493	0.26
National Median	—	$33,269	—	$14,230	0.43

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with criminal justice and corrections graduates

Financial Examiners

Enforce or ensure compliance with laws and regulations governing financial and securities institutions and financial and real estate transactions. May examine, verify, or authenticate records.

$90,400/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Emergency Management Directors

Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.

$86,130/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Compliance Officers

Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not classified elsewhere.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Environmental Compliance Inspectors

Inspect and investigate sources of pollution to protect the public and environment and ensure conformance with Federal, State, and local regulations and ordinances.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Equal Opportunity Representatives and Officers

Monitor and evaluate compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment practices and contracting arrangements give equal opportunity without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Government Property Inspectors and Investigators

Investigate or inspect government property to ensure compliance with contract agreements and government regulations.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Regulatory Affairs Specialists

Coordinate and document internal regulatory processes, such as internal audits, inspections, license renewals, or registrations. May compile and prepare materials for submission to regulatory agencies.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Customs Brokers

Prepare customs documentation and ensure that shipments meet all applicable laws to facilitate the import and export of goods. Determine and track duties and taxes payable and process payments on behalf of client. Sign documents under a power of attorney. Represent clients in meetings with customs officials and apply for duty refunds and tariff reclassifications. Coordinate transportation and storage of imported goods.

$78,420/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Conduct investigations related to suspected violations of federal, state, or local laws to prevent or solve crimes.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Police Identification and Records Officers

Collect evidence at crime scene, classify and identify fingerprints, and photograph evidence for use in criminal and civil cases.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

Intelligence Analysts

Gather, analyze, or evaluate information from a variety of sources, such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks or geographic information systems. Use intelligence data to anticipate and prevent organized crime activities, such as terrorism.

$77,270/yrJobs growth:

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Madison Area Technical College, approximately 19% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Sample Size: Based on 43 graduates with reported earnings and 48 graduates with debt data. Small samples may not be representative.