Public Health at Florida Career College-West Palm Beach

Florida Career College's Public Health associate program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—matching both national and state median earnings at around $30,000 annually. What matters more is what happens next: graduates see essentially zero income growth between year one and year four, while the state's top performers (Florida National and Keiser) start graduates $7,000 higher. Among Florida's 19 programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile, meaning most in-state alternatives deliver similar or slightly better outcomes.

The $20,000 debt load is manageable relative to first-year earnings, requiring about eight months of gross income to repay. With 68% of students receiving Pell grants, many here are using this credential as a pathway to stability rather than upward mobility. The debt-to-earnings math works, but just barely—there's little room for error if job placement doesn't go smoothly.

For families weighing this investment, the question is whether a flat $30,000 trajectory justifies both the tuition and two years of opportunity cost. If your child needs credentials quickly to enter the workforce, this gets them there. But if higher earnings are the priority, the top-tier Florida programs show that an extra $7,000 annually is achievable in this field—that's $28,000 more over four years, easily offsetting any difference in program cost.