Public Health at Eastern Florida State College

Eastern Florida State College's public health program produces graduates earning $34,462 in their first year—placing it squarely in the middle of Florida's public health offerings but trailing the national median by about $3,000. The debt picture offers some relief: at $22,000, graduates carry roughly $5,000 less than both state and national averages, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64. This means graduates can expect to earn back their full debt load in about eight months of work, which is reasonable for a bachelor's degree.

The challenge here is that public health salaries start modest across the board, and this program's outcomes sit at the 23rd percentile nationally. In Florida specifically, it performs near the median (40th percentile), but look at the gap: St. Petersburg College graduates earn $17,000 more annually. That's a significant difference when you're starting in the mid-$30s. For a student committed to public health and attending in-state, the lower debt burden matters—especially compared to programs like Keiser or Florida National that carry higher costs.

Bottom line: This program works if keeping debt low is the priority and your child plans to pursue graduate education or accept that public health typically requires credential stacking for higher salaries. If maximizing immediate earning potential matters more, other Florida options deliver substantially better returns.