Criminal Justice and Corrections at Miami Dade College

Miami Dade College's Criminal Justice certificate starts graduates at $34,209—landing in the 10th percentile among Florida programs. That's $15,000 below what graduates earn at similarly affordable community colleges across the state, like Hillsborough or Indian River State. Even accounting for Miami's higher cost of living, this represents a significant gap: graduates from Palm Beach State's program, just an hour north, earn over $35,000 more in their first year.

The 26% earnings growth to $43,077 by year four offers some recovery, but graduates are still trailing the state median of nearly $50,000. With relatively modest debt of $9,563—typical for Florida criminal justice certificates—at least students aren't taking on outsized risk. For the 45% of students here on Pell grants, that manageable debt load matters. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 means repayment remains feasible even at these lower starting salaries.

For families committed to Miami Dade for logistical or financial reasons, this certificate won't derail your finances. But if location flexibility exists, the data strongly suggests looking at other Florida community colleges first. The earnings gap isn't marginal—it's substantial enough to meaningfully affect your child's financial stability in those critical first years after graduation.