Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Florida National University-Main Campus

Florida National University's nursing program delivers earnings below both state and national benchmarks while carrying double the typical debt load. First-year grads earn $70,042—about $6,500 less than Florida's median and well behind state leaders like Valencia College ($93,751) and Miami Dade College ($90,158). The $46,524 in median debt is twice the national average for nursing programs and double Florida's typical burden of $23,261.

That debt load matters significantly for a predominantly low-income student body (84% receive Pell grants). The 0.66 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic—nursing salaries can support repayment—but it's notably higher than what similar students would face at community college nursing programs across Florida. Earnings do grow to $78,789 by year four, yet graduates remain in the 40th percentile statewide throughout their early careers.

For families considering this program, the financial math is straightforward: you'll pay roughly $23,000 more in debt than the Florida average to access below-average earnings outcomes. Unless there are compelling geographic or scheduling reasons to choose FNU specifically, exploring Florida's community college nursing pathways would likely deliver both stronger earnings and dramatically less debt—a combination that matters especially for Pell-eligible students starting with limited financial cushion.