Criminal Justice and Corrections at Sussex County Community College

Sussex County Community College's criminal justice program shows impressive earnings growth but requires scrutiny due to limited graduate data. While first-year earnings of $32,079 lag slightly behind the national median, graduates see a robust 35% jump to $43,234 by year four—significantly outpacing typical outcomes for this degree. More telling: this program ranks in the 60th percentile among New Jersey criminal justice programs, placing it above the state median of $28,991 and ahead of larger schools like Union County and Brookdale.

The debt picture is mixed. At $9,875, graduates carry less than half the national median for this program, which is excellent. However, this still places the school in the 80th percentile nationally for debt—meaning 80% of programs manage to graduate students with even less burden. For context, that's only slightly below the NJ state median of $10,500. The strong earnings trajectory helps: by year four, debt represents just 23% of annual income, a manageable load for most graduates entering law enforcement or corrections work.

The critical caveat: this data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, making these numbers potentially volatile year-to-year. If your child is serious about criminal justice and prefers staying in New Jersey, this program's combination of controlled debt and solid four-year earnings makes it worth considering—but verify current outcomes with the financial aid office given the small sample size.