Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Hodges University

A nursing associate's degree in Florida typically leads to solid first-year earnings—and the estimated $64,700 for Hodges graduates aligns almost exactly with the state median for this credential. The $23,658 in debt sits slightly below Florida's average for nursing programs, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 that puts you in decent territory for healthcare education. Since Hodges's actual outcomes aren't reported due to small graduate cohorts, these figures come from comparable nursing programs across Florida.

What's striking is the gap between these estimated earnings and what top Florida nursing programs achieve. Schools like Broward College and Valencia produce first-year earnings above $70,000—roughly $6,000-$8,000 more annually than what similar programs to Hodges typically deliver. That difference compounds over a career, and those higher-performing programs often come with community college pricing that reduces debt substantially.

For nursing specifically, where you earn your degree matters less than passing the NCLEX and getting licensed. If Hodges offers scheduling flexibility or location advantages that make degree completion more likely for your child, the slightly lower estimated earnings may be worth the tradeoff. But if they can access one of Florida's stronger-performing community college nursing programs, that path typically offers both better earnings potential and lower debt—a combination that's hard to beat for launching a nursing career.