Criminal Justice and Corrections at Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland Campus

Within New Jersey's criminal justice associate programs, Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland sits right at the state median for earnings—but that positioning masks a crucial detail. While graduates start at $28,991, well below the national average of $33,269, their earnings jump 40% to $40,472 by year four. That trajectory outpaces what students see at better-known programs like Middlesex or Essex County, where earnings peak earlier but top out lower.

The $12,000 in typical debt makes this affordable by most measures, though it's slightly higher than the state median of $10,500. For a program serving a substantial population of Pell grant recipients (39%), that matters—but so does the fact that debt represents just 41% of first-year earnings, a manageable starting point. The challenge is surviving those first few years when earnings are relatively low, particularly since this ranks in just the 22nd percentile nationally for initial outcomes.

For families comfortable with a slower financial start in exchange for strong mid-term growth, this program delivers. Students who can weather lower initial earnings—perhaps through family support or part-time work—emerge in a notably better position than typical criminal justice graduates nationwide. Just understand you're betting on year-four outcomes rather than immediate post-graduation returns.