Business Administration, Management and Operations at Atlantic Technical College

A business certificate from Atlantic Technical College carries an estimated $13,821 in debt—slightly below what similar Florida programs typically require—while projected first-year earnings around $36,800 land right at the state median for this credential. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.38 suggests graduates could reasonably pay down loans within a year or two of full-time work, assuming those estimates hold true.

The challenge here is uncertainty. With both earnings and debt figures derived from peer programs rather than actual outcomes from Atlantic Technical's graduates, you're essentially betting that this school's results will mirror the typical Florida business certificate. Looking at comparable programs that do report data—like Florida State College at Jacksonville, where graduates earn $44,900, or Miami Dade College at $32,300—shows the range can be substantial. Atlantic Technical's extremely low Pell grant percentage (just 6%) also suggests an unusual student population that might not be representative of your family's situation.

For a certificate program, the financial picture appears manageable if the estimates prove accurate. But you're making this decision with limited visibility into what actually happens to students who complete this specific program. If your child already has career connections in business or needs a quick credential boost, the modest debt load makes this less risky than similar programs. If they're starting from scratch in the job market, consider whether schools with verified outcomes might offer more certainty, even if the numbers look similar on paper.