Security Science and Technology at Florida Gulf Coast University

This program's earnings lag significantly behind both state and national benchmarks, placing it in the bottom 10% of Security Science programs nationwide and within Florida. First-year graduates earn just $28,173—nearly $18,000 below the Florida median for this degree and $11,000 below the national average. That's barely above minimum wage for full-time work. Even after four years, earnings of $39,879 remain below what typical graduates in this field earn in their first year at Florida State ($58,249) or Embry-Riddle ($55,259).

The modest debt load of $19,046 (below both state and national medians) provides some cushion, but it doesn't offset the earnings disadvantage. The 42% earnings growth from year one to year four suggests graduates may be breaking into their intended careers slowly, but they're still playing catch-up. For a security-focused degree, these outcomes raise questions about whether graduates are landing in their target field or settling for lower-paying work.

The caveat here matters: with fewer than 30 graduates in the data, these numbers could shift dramatically with a larger sample. However, the consistency of this program ranking at the bottom 10% both nationally and statewide suggests a pattern worth taking seriously. If your child is serious about security careers, other Florida programs show substantially better outcomes from day one.