Criminal Justice and Corrections at Mount Wachusett Community College

Mount Wachusett's criminal justice program shows concerning underperformance within Massachusetts, where graduates earn $37,533 at the state median—nearly $10,000 more than this program's first-year outcome of $27,226. Among the 20 Massachusetts schools offering this associate's degree, Mount Wachusett ranks in just the 25th percentile. Other community colleges in the state deliver substantially better results: Bunker Hill graduates earn $47,573, while Northern Essex produces $39,426. Even the debt picture looks less favorable here, with graduates carrying $13,753 compared to the state median of $7,500.

The 46% earnings growth to $39,688 by year four helps close the gap somewhat, but graduates still trail the state median throughout this window. For a field where practical certification and local job networks matter enormously, attending a program where three-quarters of Massachusetts competitors produce better outcomes deserves serious consideration. The debt load isn't catastrophic at half of first-year earnings, but you're paying similar amounts to what students at higher-performing programs carry.

With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers could shift with a larger sample. However, the consistent pattern of underperformance against both state and national benchmarks suggests families should explore alternatives. If Mount Wachusett is the only accessible option, expect to work harder at networking and job placement than graduates from competing Massachusetts programs.