Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at Tallahassee State College

Tallahassee State College's nursing program produces graduates earning roughly $8,000 less than Florida's state median for associate degree nurses, though this comes with a significant advantage: graduates carry half the typical debt burden. At $12,990, this is among the lowest debt loads you'll find for nursing programs in Florida, where the state median is nearly $26,000. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.23 means graduates owe less than three months' salary—a manageable situation that gives new nurses real financial breathing room.

The earnings figure itself requires context. While this program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, it sits at the 40th percentile within Florida, suggesting nursing salaries across the state trail national averages. Starting at $57,000 still provides a solid middle-class income in Tallahassee, where living costs run below Florida's coastal metros. However, the slight earnings decline over four years is puzzling for a field that typically rewards experience, and the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly with more data.

For families prioritizing minimal debt over maximum earnings, this trade-off makes sense. Your child would enter the nursing workforce owing roughly what many students spend on a single semester elsewhere, with immediate employability in a high-demand field. Just know they're unlikely to match the salaries of graduates from top Florida nursing programs, which can exceed $70,000.