Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at Orange Technical College-South Campus

This certificate program positions itself right at the national median—similar programs nationwide produce first-year earnings around $42,000, with an estimated debt load here of $12,500. That 0.30 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable by most standards, meaning graduates could theoretically dedicate less than a third of their first year's salary to paying off the full balance. The question is whether this short-term credential delivers enough specialized skills to justify even modest borrowing in Florida's crowded IT training landscape.

The challenge with tech certificates is their rapid obsolescence and employer skepticism. While 59 Florida schools offer this credential, the top performers with reported data—St. Petersburg College and Miami Dade College—show graduates earning in the high $30,000s to low $40,000s. That's decent for a certificate, but it's also entry-level help desk territory, not network administration or cybersecurity analyst roles. The extremely low Pell grant percentage (8%) suggests this program primarily serves students with existing financial resources or employer tuition support, which might indicate a different value proposition for traditional students paying out-of-pocket.

If your child already has some IT experience and needs specific credentials to advance, this could work. But if they're starting from scratch, understand that these estimated figures represent the middle of the pack nationally—not exceptional outcomes—and the certificate alone may not open doors without hands-on experience or additional certifications that employers actually request.