Fire Protection at Palm Beach State College

Palm Beach State's fire protection certificate comes with a significant caveat: the sample size is too small to draw reliable conclusions. But if we take the numbers at face value, the picture is decidedly mixed. Graduates start near the national median at $46,698, placing this program in the 40th percentile among Florida fire protection programs—meaning six in ten comparable Florida programs deliver better first-year outcomes. Top state performers like St. Petersburg College and Northwest Florida State College show significantly stronger earnings trajectories.

The debt load tells a more troubling story. At $18,971, this program saddles students with roughly double the typical debt for fire protection certificates nationwide. While the 28% earnings growth to nearly $60,000 by year four suggests career advancement potential, starting with nearly $19,000 in debt for a certificate program creates an unnecessarily steep hill to climb. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 isn't catastrophic, but it's high for what should be a lean, affordable credential.

If your child is set on fire protection in Florida, this program's combination of below-median earnings and above-median debt should prompt serious comparison shopping. Several other state colleges deliver better starting salaries with less debt burden. The small sample size adds another layer of uncertainty—these figures might look quite different with more graduates tracked.