Business Administration, Management and Operations at City College-Hollywood

City College-Hollywood's business management associate degree produces graduates earning roughly $28,000 a year—about $11,000 less than Florida's median for this program and $6,000 below the national average. Within Florida, this places it in the bottom quartile of business programs, trailing not just private universities but also community colleges like Broward and St. Petersburg, which post earnings nearly double what City College graduates achieve. The open-admission structure and 100% Pell grant enrollment suggest the college serves students facing significant barriers, but that context doesn't change the financial mathematics a family must consider.

The debt picture amplifies the concern. At $30,250, graduates leave with more debt than the typical borrower at Florida business programs and more than twice the national median for associate degrees in this field. That means owing more than an entire year's salary, a threshold that typically strains young professionals trying to establish themselves. While earnings do grow modestly to $29,500 by year four, that trajectory won't meaningfully improve the debt burden for years.

For families exploring affordable pathways to business credentials in Florida, the state's community college system offers substantially better outcomes. If City College provides crucial access—perhaps geographic proximity or scheduling flexibility—that value should be weighed carefully against taking on this level of debt for these earnings. This is a case where the associate degree's return doesn't justify near-bachelor's-level borrowing.