Criminal Justice and Corrections programs in California
224 schools in California teach this, at certificate or associate level. 52 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $71,015 at Santa Rosa Junior College.
What this work pays in California
Security Guards in California earn a median of $43,240 a year across 199,480 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in California |
|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $174,560 | 99,580 |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $118,880 | 65,940 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers | $65,200 | 60,310 |
| Compliance Officers | $96,980 | 49,880 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $96,370 | 37,860 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Associate's degree | — | $71,015 (22 grads) | 52 |
| Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa | Undergraduate certificate | — | $68,219 (87 grads) | 452 |
| Butte College Oroville | Undergraduate certificate | — | $56,641 (12 grads) | 118 |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo | Associate's degree | — | $46,478 (11 grads) | 45 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Associate's degree | — | $37,208 (31 grads) | 85 |
| Mt San Antonio College Walnut | Associate's degree | — | $36,141 (13 grads) | 105 |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Associate's degree | — | $33,993 (16 grads) | 38 |
| Evergreen Valley College San Jose | Associate's degree | — | $31,839 (12 grads) | 53 |
| Merced College Merced | Associate's degree | — | $30,988 (17 grads) | 83 |
| Reedley College Reedley | Associate's degree | — | $30,771 (11 grads) | 45 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Associate's degree | — | $29,685 (17 grads) | 156 |
| Ventura College Ventura | Associate's degree | — | $29,685 (12 grads) | 119 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 5 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 5 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia Hesperia | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 5 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster Lancaster | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 7 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Modesto Salida | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 6 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 22 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria Santa Maria | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 4 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula Temecula | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 16 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia | Associate's degree | $19,125 | $28,666 (309 grads) | 21 |
| Cerritos College Norwalk | Associate's degree | — | $28,598 (13 grads) | 99 |
| Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento | Associate's degree | $15,066 | $27,874 (83 grads) | 8 |
| Carrington College-San Jose San Jose | Associate's degree | $15,066 | $27,874 (83 grads) | 7 |
| Carrington College-San Leandro Campus San Leandro | Associate's degree | $15,066 | $27,874 (83 grads) | 1 |
| Carrington College-Stockton Stockton | Associate's degree | $15,066 | $27,874 (83 grads) | 1 |
| Fresno City College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | $26,739 (17 grads) | 143 |
| El Camino Community College District Torrance | Associate's degree | — | $25,281 (14 grads) | 99 |
| Rio Hondo College Whittier | Associate's degree | — | $24,615 (18 grads) | 145 |
| San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | Associate's degree | — | $24,615 (21 grads) | 114 |
| Institute of Technology Clovis | Associate's degree | $13,257 | $24,112 (89 grads) | 20 |
| Victor Valley College Victorville | Associate's degree | — | $24,035 (19 grads) | 86 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster | Associate's degree | $9,000 | $23,649 (17 grads) | 177 |
| Lemoore College Lemoore | Associate's degree | — | $23,182 (26 grads) | 61 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista Chula Vista | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 30 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove Garden Grove | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 31 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park Huntington Park | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 20 |
| UEI College-Oceanside Oceanside | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 25 |
| UEI College-Ontario Ontario | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 37 |
| UEI College-Reseda Reseda | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 4 |
| UEI College-Stockton Stockton | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 0 |
| UEI College-West Covina West Covina | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $23,087 (258 grads) | 22 |
| East Los Angeles College Monterey Park | Associate's degree | — | $22,824 (18 grads) | 321 |
| Platt College-Anaheim Anaheim | Associate's degree | $16,322 | $21,383 (43 grads) | 6 |
| Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra | Associate's degree | $16,322 | $21,383 (43 grads) | 4 |
| Platt College-Ontario Ontario | Associate's degree | $16,322 | $21,383 (43 grads) | 6 |
| Platt College-Riverside Riverside | Associate's degree | $16,322 | $21,383 (43 grads) | 4 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Associate's degree | — | $20,530 (16 grads) | 118 |
| UEI College-Gardena Gardena | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $20,388 (76 grads) | 21 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield Bakersfield | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $18,429 (87 grads) | 29 |
| UEI College-Fresno Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | $9,500 | $18,429 (87 grads) | 55 |
| Imperial Valley College Imperial | Associate's degree | — | $17,794 (47 grads) | 185 |
| Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | $7,962 | not published | — |
| Coalinga College Coalinga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 34 |
| College of the Sequoias Visalia | Associate's degree | — | not published | 124 |
| Golden West College Huntington Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 108 |
| Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 242 |
| Napa Valley College Napa | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Platt College-Los Angeles Alhambra | Undergraduate certificate | $14,633 | not published | 0 |
| Riverside City College Riverside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 107 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 123 |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | 97 |
| Southwestern College Chula Vista | Associate's degree | — | not published | 177 |
| ATA College El Cajon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Abraham Lincoln University Glendale | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Abraham Lincoln University Glendale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Allan Hancock College Santa Maria | Associate's degree | — | not published | 65 |
| American River College Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| American River College Sacramento | Associate's degree | — | not published | 76 |
| Bakersfield College Bakersfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 230 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| Barstow Community College Barstow | Associate's degree | — | not published | 35 |
| Butte College Oroville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 61 |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Cabrillo College Aptos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 98 |
| California Aeronautical University Bakersfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Cerro Coso Community College Ridgecrest | Associate's degree | — | not published | 34 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Chabot College Hayward | Associate's degree | — | not published | 45 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 24 |
| Chaffey College Rancho Cucamonga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 123 |
| Citrus College Glendora | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 76 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 39 |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 40 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Clovis Community College Fresno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 46 |
| Coastline Community College Fountain Valley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 15 |
| College of Marin Kentfield | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| College of Marin Kentfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 13 |
| College of the Canyons Santa Clarita | Associate's degree | — | not published | 88 |
| College of the Desert Palm Desert | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| College of the Redwoods Eureka | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| College of the Redwoods Eureka | Associate's degree | — | not published | 5 |
| College of the Sequoias Visalia | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 56 |
| College of the Siskiyous Weed | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 34 |
| College of the Siskiyous Weed | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Compton College Compton | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Compton College Compton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 21 |
| Contra Costa College San Pablo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Contra Costa College San Pablo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 23 |
| Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree | Associate's degree | — | not published | 14 |
| Crafton Hills College Yucaipa | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Cuesta College San Luis Obispo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 50 |
| Cypress College Cypress | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Cypress College Cypress | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| De Anza College Cupertino | Associate's degree | — | not published | 78 |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 53 |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill | Associate's degree | — | not published | 76 |
| East Los Angeles College Monterey Park | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 211 |
| El Camino Community College District Torrance | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Feather River Community College District Quincy | Associate's degree | — | not published | 9 |
| Folsom Lake College Folsom | Associate's degree | — | not published | 47 |
| Fresno City College Fresno | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 26 |
| Fullerton College Fullerton | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Fullerton College Fullerton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 119 |
| Gavilan College Gilroy | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 75 |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Glendale Community College Glendale | Associate's degree | — | not published | 37 |
| Golden West College Huntington Beach | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 95 |
| Grossmont College El Cajon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| Grossmont College El Cajon | Associate's degree | — | not published | 110 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 17 |
| Hartnell College Salinas | Associate's degree | — | not published | 101 |
| Humphreys University Stockton | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Imperial Valley College Imperial | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 42 |
| Institute of Technology Clovis | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 18 |
| Irvine Valley College Irvine | Associate's degree | — | not published | 57 |
| Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Las Positas College Livermore | Associate's degree | — | not published | 38 |
| Lassen Community College Susanville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Lassen Community College Susanville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 8 |
| Lemoore College Lemoore | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Long Beach City College Long Beach | Associate's degree | — | not published | 129 |
| Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 9 |
| Los Angeles City College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 24 |
| Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington | Associate's degree | — | not published | 30 |
| Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar | Associate's degree | — | not published | 64 |
| Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills | Associate's degree | — | not published | 57 |
| Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Los Angeles Southwest College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 27 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College Los Angeles | Associate's degree | — | not published | 29 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Los Angeles Valley College Valley Glen | Associate's degree | — | not published | 37 |
| Los Medanos College Pittsburg | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 52 |
| Los Medanos College Pittsburg | Associate's degree | — | not published | 65 |
| Madera Community College Madera | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Madera Community College Madera | Associate's degree | — | not published | 29 |
| Mendocino College Ukiah | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Mendocino College Ukiah | Associate's degree | — | not published | 15 |
| Merced College Merced | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Merritt College Oakland | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| Merritt College Oakland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 25 |
| MiraCosta College Oceanside | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 4 |
| MiraCosta College Oceanside | Associate's degree | — | not published | 31 |
| Mission College Santa Clara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 18 |
| Modesto Junior College Modesto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 117 |
| Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Monterey Peninsula College Monterey | Associate's degree | — | not published | 26 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 9 |
| Moorpark College Moorpark | Associate's degree | — | not published | 73 |
| Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley | Associate's degree | — | not published | 46 |
| Mt San Antonio College Walnut | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 3 |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District San Jacinto | Associate's degree | — | not published | 90 |
| Napa Valley College Napa | Associate's degree | — | not published | 35 |
| National University San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Norco College Norco | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Norco College Norco | Associate's degree | — | not published | 49 |
| Ohlone College Fremont | Associate's degree | — | not published | 11 |
| Palo Verde College Blythe | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Palo Verde College Blythe | Associate's degree | — | not published | 6 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 9 |
| Palomar College San Marcos | Associate's degree | — | not published | 59 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Pasadena City College Pasadena | Associate's degree | — | not published | 75 |
| Porterville College Porterville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Porterville College Porterville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 36 |
| Reedley College Reedley | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 21 |
| Rio Hondo College Whittier | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 223 |
| Riverside City College Riverside | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 21 |
| Sacramento City College Sacramento | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 11 |
| Saddleback College Mission Viejo | Associate's degree | — | not published | 0 |
| San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 187 |
| San Diego City College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| San Diego Mesa College San Diego | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| San Diego Miramar College San Diego | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 181 |
| San Joaquin Delta College Stockton | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 44 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| San Jose City College San Jose | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| San Jose City College San Jose | Associate's degree | — | not published | 31 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 371 |
| Santa Ana College Santa Ana | Associate's degree | — | not published | 85 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 8 |
| Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara | Associate's degree | — | not published | 62 |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | — |
| Santa Monica College Santa Monica | Associate's degree | — | not published | 49 |
| Santiago Canyon College Orange | Associate's degree | — | not published | — |
| Shasta College Redding | Associate's degree | — | not published | 23 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 2 |
| Sierra College Rocklin | Associate's degree | — | not published | 170 |
| Skyline College San Bruno | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Skyline College San Bruno | Associate's degree | — | not published | 21 |
| Solano Community College Fairfield | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 12 |
| Solano Community College Fairfield | Associate's degree | — | not published | 69 |
| Southwestern College Chula Vista | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 22 |
| Taft College Taft | Associate's degree | — | not published | 27 |
| Ventura College Ventura | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 55 |
| Victor Valley College Victorville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 5 |
| West Los Angeles College Culver City | Associate's degree | — | not published | 76 |
| West Valley College Saratoga | Associate's degree | — | not published | 46 |
| Woodland Community College Woodland | Associate's degree | — | not published | 40 |
| Yuba College Marysville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 109 |
| Yuba College Marysville | Associate's degree | — | not published | 55 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Criminal Justice and Corrections — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.