Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants at Galen College of Nursing-Tampa Bay

Galen College of Nursing-Tampa Bay's practical nursing program produces graduates who earn $46,830 in their first year—solidly above both national and Florida medians for this field. Among Florida's 110 practical nursing programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile, meaning your child would likely out-earn graduates from nearly half of the state's competing programs. The $6,594 earnings advantage over the typical Florida graduate in this field translates to meaningful additional income early in their career.

The debt picture is more complex but manageable. At $16,642, graduates carry about $6,000 more debt than the typical Florida nursing student, though this remains well below national averages. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 means students borrow roughly one-third of their first-year salary—a reasonable burden that most graduates can handle with standard repayment plans. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates gives confidence these numbers reflect the typical student experience rather than outliers.

With nearly half of students receiving Pell grants, this program serves working-class families well while delivering above-average outcomes. While not among Florida's top-tier programs like Florida State College at Jacksonville, Galen provides a solid pathway into nursing that justifies its slightly higher debt load through consistently stronger earnings potential.