Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Antigua College International

The nursing field in Florida has some of the strongest first-year outcomes in the country, but Antigua College's estimated debt load requires careful consideration. While peer programs in the state suggest first-year earnings around $76,500—right at Florida's median for BSN graduates—the estimated debt of nearly $42,000 is substantially higher than what most Florida nursing students carry. That's about $19,000 more than the state median and roughly $15,000 above the national benchmark.

Why does this matter? Florida's community colleges and state universities are producing nursing graduates who start at similar or higher salaries with significantly less debt. Valencia College and Miami Dade College, for example, report graduates earning in the low $90,000s, while typical debt loads across Florida nursing programs sit closer to $23,000. The 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio here isn't unmanageable—you could theoretically pay off the loan in about seven months of gross earnings—but that calculation assumes living expenses don't exist, and it overlooks the opportunity cost of carrying debt you might avoid elsewhere.

Given that three-quarters of Antigua's students receive Pell grants, many families here are already stretching financially. Before committing, compare the total program cost directly with Florida's public nursing programs, which appear to deliver comparable or better market outcomes at roughly half the debt burden.