Criminal Justice and Corrections at Sacramento City College

Sacramento City College's criminal justice program shows an unusual earnings pattern that merits careful consideration, though the small graduating class means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. Starting salaries of $31,146 lag behind California's median for these programs by about $1,800, placing graduates in the 40th percentile statewide. However, by year four, earnings jump 54% to $48,092—substantially above both state and national benchmarks and outpacing the top-ranked California programs for this degree.

The debt picture is reasonable at $11,760, representing less than five months of first-year earnings and notably below California's typical $16,774 for criminal justice programs. This matters for a field where many graduates work in public safety roles with modest starting pay. The real question is whether that dramatic earnings increase reflects actual career progression for most graduates or statistical noise from the small sample size. If genuine, it suggests graduates who stick with the field see strong wage growth as they gain experience and potentially move into supervisory positions.

For families considering this program, the value depends heavily on persistence. The debt load won't be crushing either way, but if your child plans to enter law enforcement or corrections and advance within those systems, this program's trajectory looks promising. Just remember: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a few outliers could be skewing these numbers upward.