10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$63,978at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · 130 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 126 · Federal debt reported for 72
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$63,978 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
14.0 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−28%Estimated return after 10 years
$61,121Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $13,474 housing and food allowance plus $5,070 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$18,790
$8,000Annual price−$50,790
$11,000Current college-wide context−$62,790
$16,000Annual price−$82,790
$24,000Annual price−$114,790
$32,000Annual price−$146,790
$40,000Annual price−$178,790
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Most students take at least some classes online.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
118 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Florida run 3% above the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$11,297Average net price / year
$25,720Cost of attendance
$18,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$191/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$61,121Median earnings · year 5 after completion
85.6%Completion rate
24.2%Admission rate
1,361Average SAT score
28ACT midpoint
32,212Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Florida State University
What does Florida State University cost?
Florida State University reports an average annual net price of $11,297 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Florida State University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $61,121 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Florida State University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $18,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Florida State University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 130 field-and-degree records for Florida State University; 126 report year-4 earnings and 72 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
50,268Students enrolled at any point
36,829Undergraduate students
13,439Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
81% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
1,147 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
59% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$58,378Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$60,396Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$66,580Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income56%
Middle income64%
Higher income69%
Undergraduate student composition
White58%
Black7%
Hispanic23%
Asian4%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$40,895Year 1
$66,924Year 4
$61,121Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Master's Degree$162,3292Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies · Post-baccalaureate Certificate$143,9423Computer and Information Sciences, General · Master's Degree$126,2404Insurance · Master's Degree$126,0525Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$117,5606Computer Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$114,8027Mechanical Engineering · Master's Degree$113,9678Medicine · First Professional Degree$113,355Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Security Science and TechnologyBachelor's Degree · $93,841 reported+62%vs same-degree national median$20,693federal debt2Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · $73,888 reported+43%vs same-degree national median$22,250federal debt3Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesPost-baccalaureate Certificate · $143,942 reported+39%vs same-degree national median$19,500federal debt4Educational Administration and SupervisionUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $64,342 reported+37%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree · $162,329 reported+35%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $58,691 reported+31%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in FL
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Miami, FL
Florida International University
- Annual net price
- $9,288
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $59,979
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -31%
University of Central Florida
- Annual net price
- $10,411
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,196
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -40%
University of South Florida
- Annual net price
- $9,812
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $57,660
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -42%
Florida Gulf Coast University
- Annual net price
- $12,568
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $55,924
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -53%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 130 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Master's Degree | $162,329 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $143,942 | $19,500 | 293 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Master's Degree | $126,240 | Not available | Not reported |
| Insurance | Master's Degree | $126,052 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $117,560 | Not available | 74 |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $114,802 | $23,346 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $113,967 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $113,355 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $112,611 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Master's Degree | $107,903 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $107,889 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Bachelor's Degree | $103,648 | $18,173 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Doctoral Degree | $102,524 | Not available | 35 |
| Economics | Master's Degree | $101,636 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Master's Degree | $101,223 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | Master's Degree | $100,339 | Not available | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Doctoral Degree | $99,239 | Not available | 23 |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $98,060 | Not available | Not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,504 | $20,000 | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $94,887 | $18,750 | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Master's Degree | $94,513 | Not available | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $94,387 | Not available | 16 |
| Security Science and Technology | Bachelor's Degree | $93,841 | $20,693 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $93,740 | $15,750 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $93,727 | $20,250 | Not reported |
| Insurance | Bachelor's Degree | $92,064 | $21,500 | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $91,056 | $18,625 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $90,815 | $25,250 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $89,622 | $24,085 | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Post-baccalaureate Certificate | $88,020 | Not available | 33 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $87,089 | $18,162 | Not reported |
| Statistics | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $87,034 | $19,500 | 48 |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $84,981 | $18,250 | Not reported |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $84,340 | $23,199 | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Bachelor's Degree | $80,900 | $19,500 | Not reported |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $79,921 | Not available | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $78,811 | $22,030 | Not reported |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | Master's Degree | $78,502 | Not available | Not reported |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $78,175 | Not available | Not reported |
| Statistics | Bachelor's Degree | $77,605 | $22,500 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every Florida State University program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.