Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at St Petersburg College

St Petersburg College's nursing program outperforms Florida's median by nearly $2,500 in starting salary—placing it in the 60th percentile statewide—while keeping debt roughly $3,600 below the state average. That's a meaningful advantage for in-state students comparing community college options. However, the earnings trajectory tells a different story: graduates see their income slip about 4% between year one and year four, from $67,220 to $64,709, while top Florida programs like Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations maintain earnings above $73,000.

The $22,100 median debt translates to a manageable 0.33 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates earn roughly three times what they owe in their first year. For a community college program serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students, that's solid financial positioning. The robust sample size of 100+ graduates makes these figures reliable—not a fluke from a small cohort.

Here's the practical takeaway: this program offers a reasonable path into nursing without excessive debt, and it performs better than most Florida alternatives. But if your child is choosing between nursing programs based purely on earning potential, several Florida schools deliver $5,000-6,000 more annually. The value here is in the combination of below-average debt and above-state-average starting pay, not in maximizing long-term earnings.