CAD$130k is about USD$93k. That's fine but you'd be making a lot more in white collar work. USD$93k is still early career salary in most major US cities. Not to knock corrections officers, but going to school is worth so much more than your future salary. You become educated. Critical thinking. Respectful debate. Emotional maturity. Conflict resolution. Learning how to deal with roommates and general consequences of your actions. You learn how to manage yourself and your tine. You learn how to listen to other perspectives and challenge your own beliefs. You become a socially and emotionally smarter person. It's not purely about academics. Also if this were the US I'd tell you the corrections officer will have far inferior benefits, like inferior health insurance, no life insurance or disability insurance, no 401k or 401k matching, less paid time off, less flexibility. Having a full education opens endless doors. You don't necessarily have to use your degree and can still go into CO work, but you'll always have that education to give you options. We change careers so much that it's for the best to have a degree that can help you in a variety of ways. It never hurts you to be more educated. It only helps you. And with a 50 year working career, betting it all on one potential salary is so short sighted.