Psychology at South University-Tampa

South University-Tampa's psychology program carries debt levels that should immediately concern any parent: at nearly $55,000, graduates leave with more than double the state median and more than twice their first-year earnings. While the program serves a substantial Pell-grant population (48%), the financial burden falls hardest on students who can least afford it.

The earnings trajectory offers some optimism—graduates see 29% income growth over four years, reaching $36,910. However, this still means years of financial strain: even at the four-year mark, annual earnings barely exceed half the debt load. Florida State University's psychology program produces similar outcomes with debt under $25,000, and even for-profit Keiser University manages substantially lower debt with better starting salaries. Among Florida psychology programs, this ranks at the 40th percentile for earnings but bottom 5th percentile for debt—a combination that's difficult to justify.

Parents should run the numbers carefully here. A $55,000 debt load on a $28,000 starting salary translates to monthly payments that could consume 20-30% of take-home pay for a decade. Unless your family has significant resources to help manage this debt, this program poses genuine financial risk compared to dozens of more affordable Florida alternatives.