Air Transportation at Polk State College

Polk State's aviation bachelor's program punches above its weight, with first-year earnings of $50,499 landing in the 84th percentile nationally—well above the national median of $43,044 for this field. While the $23,573 in estimated debt (based on national patterns for similar institutions) would typically be manageable at this salary level, the small graduate cohort means we're working with limited visibility into actual outcomes.

What's reassuring is that these earnings match Florida's median for aviation programs and come remarkably close to what graduates from Embry-Riddle and other established aviation schools earn—often $54,000 to $55,000—despite Polk State likely charging far less in tuition. The estimated 0.47 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests graduates could pay off loans within about a year of full-time earnings, assuming the debt estimate holds true. For a state college serving a third of its students on Pell grants, producing outcomes competitive with premium aviation universities is significant.

The caveat is the suppressed data itself: aviation programs typically produce small graduating classes, and without actual debt figures from this specific program, you're making decisions with incomplete information. If Polk State's aviation students are financing their education differently than the national average—whether taking on more debt for flight hours or less due to lower base tuition—that ratio could shift. Contact the program directly about typical total costs including flight training before committing.