Biological and Physical Sciences at New College of Florida

New College of Florida's Biological and Physical Sciences program shows middling first-year outcomes that place it in the 60th percentile among Florida's six programs offering this degree—slightly above the state median but below national benchmarks. Graduates earn about $32,900 in their first year, roughly 5% less than the national median for this field, while carrying $19,500 in debt (about 20% below the national median). The resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.59 means students can expect to owe about seven months of their first-year salary.

The real question is whether these early earnings represent a starting point for growth or a ceiling. Many science-related fields require graduate education for higher earning potential, and this program may primarily serve students planning advanced degrees rather than immediate employment. The relatively low debt burden offers some flexibility for that path, though the initial earning power is modest compared to what parents might expect from a science degree.

The critical caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes could vary significantly. For families, this means the program carries meaningful uncertainty—it's not clear whether your child would join graduates earning closer to $40,000 or those earning in the mid-$20,000s. Given the small sample and moderate outcomes, families should investigate what recent graduates are actually doing—are they in graduate programs, working in labs, or struggling to find science-related employment?