Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Florida Southern College

Florida Southern's nursing graduates start strong at $75,019, but here's the catch: their earnings actually decline to $71,193 by year four. That backward trajectory is unusual in nursing, where experience typically commands higher pay. More telling, while the program lands near the national median, it sits below the middle of the pack in Florida—40th percentile in a state where community colleges routinely produce nurses earning $90,000+ within four years.

The $27,000 debt load looks reasonable on paper, giving graduates a manageable 0.36 debt-to-earnings ratio. But Florida's state colleges offer this same degree at lower cost while delivering stronger earnings outcomes. When Valencia College and Miami Dade graduates are earning $20,000 more annually by year four with less debt, the value equation shifts considerably.

For an anxious parent, the question becomes whether Florida Southern's private college experience justifies both the higher cost and lower earnings trajectory. The declining salary pattern suggests graduates may be working in lower-paying healthcare settings or facing local market limitations in Lakeland. If your child is set on this school, understand they'll likely be outearned by peers from Florida's public nursing programs—both immediately and four years down the line.