Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications at Santa Fe College

Based on comparable networking programs in Florida, Santa Fe College's estimated first-year earnings of $37,680 fall right at the state median—meaning half of similar programs produce better outcomes and half produce worse. That's $5,600 below the national median for this credential, though the difference matters less if graduates stay in Florida's market where tech salaries tend to run lower than coastal hubs.

The debt picture looks notably better than you'd expect for this field. At an estimated $15,832, this is nearly half the $28,372 median for Florida networking programs and substantially below the $21,874 national median. With a 0.42 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates from peer programs would need less than six months of gross pay to cover their loans—a manageable burden even if actual outcomes vary from these estimates.

The challenge is that these figures come from a small sample of comparable programs, not Santa Fe's specific graduates, so there's real uncertainty here. However, the estimated debt load gives meaningful cushion: even if earnings disappoint slightly, graduates shouldn't face crushing repayment. For families concerned about downside risk in a competitive IT field, starting at a community college price point while building credentials makes practical sense, especially for students planning to work locally rather than relocate for higher-paying markets.