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

This program's graduates earn roughly half what they should expect from a nursing credential in Florida. While the debt seems manageable at under $10,000, these earnings—$22,247 in the first year—place graduates in the bottom 10% statewide. That's startling in a field where Florida's median sits above $40,000, and top programs like Florida State College at Jacksonville produce graduates earning $57,000 or more.

The slight earnings decline from year one to year four suggests these graduates aren't climbing into better-paying positions over time. Compare that trajectory to what nursing typically offers: steady wage growth as nurses gain experience and credentials. With 70% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are investing limited resources in a program that dramatically underperforms both state and national benchmarks for the same credential.

Florida has 110 programs offering this certificate, including several public technical colleges where graduates earn double what Florida Career College-Tampa delivers. For parents weighing this investment, the question isn't whether nursing is viable—it clearly is in Florida. The question is whether this particular program provides the training and connections that lead to actual nursing employment at competitive wages. The data says no.