Marketing at Stetson University

At first glance, Stetson's marketing program appears to hit reasonable benchmarks—graduates carry manageable debt and earn slightly above Florida's median for this field. But the concerning reality is what doesn't happen after that first job: earnings remain essentially flat over four years, hovering around $44,500 while graduates at Florida's top programs pull steadily ahead.

The program ranks in the 60th percentile among Florida marketing programs, which sounds respectable until you see the gap between Stetson and the state's leaders. UF and FSU graduates earn roughly $50,000-$56,000, meaning the typical Stetson graduate makes about $7,000-$12,000 less annually even four years into their career. That difference compounds dramatically over a working lifetime. The debt load itself isn't problematic—at 56% of first-year earnings, it's manageable—but you're financing a middle-of-the-pack outcome at a private university price point.

For families considering Stetson's $24,750 in typical borrowing, the question becomes whether the private school experience justifies earning what you'd make at many Florida public universities while paying more upfront. If your child has admission to UF or FSU's business programs, those represent significantly stronger investments. Stetson works for students who value the smaller campus environment and understand they're choosing experience over earnings optimization, but it's not the financial frontrunner among Florida marketing degrees.