Criminal Justice and Corrections at UEI College-Garden Grove

UEI College-Garden Grove's Criminal Justice certificate produces concerning earnings outcomes that fall far below national expectations. With first-year earnings of just $29,663, graduates earn roughly $19,000 less than the national median for this program—landing in the bottom 10th percentile nationally. While this performance looks slightly better within California (40th percentile), that's largely because the state's median for this program is also depressed at $29,940.

The debt picture offers some relief, with graduates carrying $9,500 in loans compared to the national median of $13,355. This creates a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.32, meaning graduates can theoretically pay off their loans with about four months of gross income. However, the bigger concern is the earnings plateau—income barely grows from $29,663 to $30,366 over four years, suggesting limited career advancement potential.

The stark contrast with top-performing California programs is telling. Santa Rosa Junior College graduates in this field earn $111,649, nearly four times more than UEI's graduates. For anxious parents, this data suggests looking elsewhere: community colleges across California consistently deliver superior outcomes in criminal justice training, often at lower cost and with better long-term earning potential.