Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) at Santa Fe College

Est. Earnings (1yr)

$49,774

Est. from FL median (20 programs)

Est. Median Debt

$9,563

Est. from FL median (13 programs)

Analysis

A criminal justice certificate in Florida carries an estimated $9,563 in debt—substantially less than the national median of $13,355—which creates a more manageable debt load from the start. Based on comparable Florida programs, first-year earnings around $49,774 yield a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.19, meaning graduates would need roughly two months of gross income to cover their educational investment. That's a workable financial position for an entry-level credential.

The challenge lies in what peer programs reveal about earning potential. While Santa Fe's estimated figures align with Florida's median for this certificate, several community colleges in the state report significantly higher outcomes for their graduates—Palm Beach State and Hillsborough both show earnings exceeding $60,000, suggesting that program quality, local job markets, or career services vary considerably across institutions. Without actual outcome data for Santa Fe's specific program, it's difficult to know whether graduates fare closer to the state average or fall short of what top-performing programs deliver.

For parents, this certificate represents a low-cost entry point into law enforcement or corrections work, but the lack of reported data means you're betting on estimates rather than proven results. If your child can confirm strong local hiring pipelines or internship connections at Santa Fe, the modest debt makes this worth considering. Otherwise, comparing placement outcomes with programs that have documented success records would be a prudent next step.

Where Santa Fe College Stands

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

Compare to Similar Programs in Florida

Criminal Justice and Corrections certificate's programs at peer institutions in Florida (40 total in state)

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School	In-State Tuition	Earnings (1yr)*	Earnings (4yr)	Median Debt*	Debt/Earnings
Santa Fe CollegeGainesville	$2,563	$49,774*	—	$9,563*	—
Palm Beach State CollegeLake Worth	$3,050	$69,415*	$69,281	$16,000*	0.23
Hillsborough Community CollegeTampa	$2,506	$62,249*	$58,760	$18,924*	0.30
Indian River State CollegeFort Pierce	$2,764	$60,298*	$54,930	$6,352*	0.11
Florida State College at JacksonvilleJacksonville	$2,878	$60,055*	$52,154	$15,796*	0.26
Fort Myers Technical CollegeFort Myers	—	$58,949*	$46,386	—*	—
National Median	—	$48,388*	—	$13,355*	0.28

* Estimated from similar programs

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 Santa Fe College, approximately 28% 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.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 20 similar programs in FL. Actual outcomes may vary.