Criminal Justice and Corrections at Stark State College

Stark State's Criminal Justice associate's degree comes with a significant caveat: fewer than 30 recent graduates reported data, making these numbers less reliable than programs with larger samples. That said, the available data shows a program that performs respectably against national peers but lags within Ohio. First-year earnings of $35,014 beat the national median by about $1,700, but fall roughly $3,500 short of Ohio's state median—landing in just the 40th percentile among Ohio programs. This gap matters because students likely have access to stronger in-state options like the Ohio University campuses, where graduates earn $44,000+ in similar roles.

The financial picture is manageable: $16,350 in median debt translates to a debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5, meaning graduates owe less than half their first-year salary. Earnings grow 11% to $38,722 by year four, which is steady but unremarkable growth for law enforcement or corrections work. The program costs slightly less than the state median debt while delivering below-median returns.

For anxious parents, this program appears serviceable if your child is already committed to criminal justice and needs the flexibility of a local community college. But if they can access one of the Ohio University locations or North Central State College—which show significantly higher graduate earnings—those would be stronger investments for the same career path.