Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Florida Career College-Miami

Graduates from this program earn half what the typical Florida practical nursing graduate makes—ranking in the bottom 10% statewide and bottom 5% nationally. With first-year earnings of $22,247, these graduates are making barely above minimum wage in full-time healthcare work, while Florida's median practical nursing program produces $40,922 in earnings. The state's top performers, like Florida State College at Jacksonville ($57,579), earn more than 2.5 times what this program delivers.

The modest debt load of $9,861 doesn't salvage the economics here. Even with that relatively low borrowing, the debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates will struggle to pay down loans while covering basic living expenses in Miami. Perhaps more troubling, earnings actually decline slightly by year four, suggesting graduates aren't advancing into better-paying LPN roles or gaining typical wage increases. The 74% Pell grant rate indicates this program primarily serves lower-income students who can least afford a credential that underperforms the market this severely.

For families considering practical nursing programs in Florida, this represents poor value even at lower debt levels. Dozens of community colleges and technical schools across the state deliver significantly better outcomes. The robust sample size means these numbers reliably reflect graduate experiences—this isn't a data fluke. If your child is set on nursing, prioritize Florida's many public technical colleges that place graduates into actual LPN-wage positions.