ROI Major

Criminal Justice and Corrections at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges

NY · Associate's Degree · CIP 43.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Criminal Justice and Corrections degree from Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges earn a median salary of $46,777 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $35,437. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.1 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$34,647

Typical Career

$46,777

Top Performers

$67,476

Estimated break-even: 12.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$312

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,898. Most students can comfortably afford about a $312 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in New York buys what costs $1.32 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Retail Trade, Educational Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 30.4%
Retail Trade 9.7%
Educational Services 8.6%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$35,437

Nominal: $46,777 in New York (COL 132.0% of national avg) · 24.2% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

12.1 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $23,396 $32,568 $44,959
5 Years After Graduation $34,647 $46,777 $67,476
10 Years After Graduation $45,282 $64,986 $86,581

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $46,777 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NY, which has a cost-of-living index of 132.0% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,777 × (1.0 ÷ 1.3200) = $35,437 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Criminal Justice and Corrections program at Mohawk Valley Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,568, which increases to $46,777 five years post-graduation and reaches $64,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings five years after graduation equate to $35,437.12 nationally, reflecting a solid return on investment despite the higher cost of living in New York, indicated by a cost of living index of 1.32 compared to the national average of 1.0.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which employs 30.4% of alumni, followed by Manufacturing at 17.4%, and Health Care & Social Assistance again at 17.2%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12.1 years, suggesting that pursuing this degree can lead to a favorable return on investment over time. Overall, the data indicates that a degree in Criminal Justice and Corrections from this institution can provide a viable career path with competitive earnings potential in key industries.

Compare with Another School

See how the Criminal Justice and Corrections degree at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Criminal Justice and Corrections at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges.

Apply to Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges

Explore More

Other Degrees at Mohawk Valley Community College - SUNY Office of Community Colleges

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.