Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations at Florida Southern College

Florida Southern's entrepreneurship program falls well short of what similar programs produce nationally. While typical entrepreneurship bachelor's programs across the country see graduates earning $45,265 in their first year, comparable programs in Florida—where this school sits—average about $36,000. That's a significant gap that speaks to either Florida's business market or the nature of small-business ventures early grads pursue. At an estimated $25,400 in debt, you're looking at roughly eight months of gross earnings to cover what your child borrowed, which isn't catastrophic but becomes harder to manage on $36,000 annually.

The comparison with other Florida programs is telling. Florida State's entrepreneurship grads report nearly $49,000 in first-year earnings, while even Tampa grads start around $34,000. Florida Southern's figures track closer to the bottom of that range. For a private college charging private college prices, that's worth examining closely. If your child is entrepreneurially minded enough to succeed in this field, they might benefit from the connections and culture at a school like Florida Southern—but they could also gain those advantages at lower-cost state programs that appear to produce similar or better outcomes. The practical question is whether the Florida Southern experience justifies potentially higher debt for similar earning potential.