Public Health at Florida Career College-Tampa

Florida Career College-Tampa's Public Health associate program produces graduates earning around $30,000 annually—a figure that holds perfectly flat from year one through year four. With $20,000 in typical debt, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.66, meaning they owe roughly two-thirds of their first year's salary. While this ranks at the 60th percentile among Florida's public health programs, that's cold comfort when the top programs in the state—like Florida National University and Keiser—produce graduates earning $37,000.

The real concern here is what happens after graduation. Zero earnings growth over four years suggests limited career advancement, which is unusual for healthcare-adjacent fields. At 70% Pell Grant recipients, this program serves predominantly lower-income students who need their degrees to deliver upward mobility. Instead, they're locked into roughly $30,000 annually while carrying debt that will take years to pay down at those income levels.

For an associate degree requiring two years and $20,000, you'd want to see either stronger starting salaries or meaningful growth potential. This program delivers neither. If your child is committed to public health in Florida, the data suggests looking at programs with proven track records of higher earnings, or considering whether the extra credential justifies the cost when starting salaries barely exceed what many entry-level positions pay without a degree.