Education at University of Florida

Teaching credentials from University of Florida come with an estimated debt load of $24,333—higher than the typical $20,755 for Florida education programs, though still manageable at 63% of first-year earnings. Since the Department of Education suppressed this program's specific outcomes due to small graduate samples, these figures reflect patterns from comparable education bachelor's programs across Florida and similar institutions nationally.

The estimated first-year salary of $38,928 aligns precisely with Florida's state median for education degrees, suggesting UF graduates likely enter the market at typical rates for new teachers in the state. Some Florida programs like Flagler College report higher starting salaries around $45,000, but geographic factors and specific teaching specializations often drive those differences. What matters more is that the debt-to-earnings ratio stays well below the concerning 1.0 threshold that signals repayment struggles.

For a highly selective institution (24% admission rate, 1397 average SAT), the financial return is modest but reflects the realities of teaching salaries rather than any program weakness. The real question is whether your child is committed to education as a career—if so, UF's strong reputation and reasonable debt burden make this a defensible choice. If they're uncertain about teaching, the limited earnings growth in this field means that debt could feel heavier than the numbers initially suggest.