10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$189,458at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Palm Beach State College
⌖ Lake Worth, FL · 32 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$189,458 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
79.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
−87%Modeled 10-year ROI
$47,727Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Palm Beach State College
What does Palm Beach State College cost?
Palm Beach State College reports an average annual net price of $9,182 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Palm Beach State College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $47,727 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Palm Beach State College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $7,081. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Palm Beach State College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 32 field-and-credential outcomes at Palm Beach State College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
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.
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−$152,730
$8,000Annual price−$184,730
$9,000Current college-wide context−$188,730
$16,000Annual price−$216,730
$24,000Annual price−$248,730
$32,000Annual price−$280,730
$40,000Annual price−$312,730
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
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$9,182Average net price / year
$16,830Cost of attendance
$7,081Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$75/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$47,727Median earnings · year 5 after completion
41.1%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
21,956Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
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
41% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
60 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
37% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$40,046Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$44,921Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$52,637Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income33%
Middle income47%
Higher income53%
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 only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$37,708Year 1
$48,635Year 4
$47,727Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$85,2102Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$83,1713Criminal Justice and Corrections · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$78,2164Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management · Bachelor's Degree$69,6125Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$68,4576Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$67,7137Fire Protection · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$66,6898Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$62,303Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
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.
1Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $51,204 reported+52%vs same-degree national median$5,500federal debt2Criminal Justice and CorrectionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $78,216 reported+36%vs same-degree national median$16,000federal debt3Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $38,561 reported+24%vs same-degree national median$11,984federal debt4Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing OperationsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $48,615 reported+21%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Real EstateUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $55,978 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$17,349federal debt6Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $68,457 reported+19%vs same-degree national median$12,500federal 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.
Winter Haven, FL
Polk State College
- Annual net price
- $9,427
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,130
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -86%
Seminole State College of Florida
- Annual net price
- $8,970
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,463
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -79%
Santa Fe College
- Annual net price
- $11,098
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,475
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -85%
Saint Johns River State College
- Annual net price
- $6,135
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,232
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -89%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $85,210 | $16,829 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $83,171 | $14,837 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $78,216 | $16,000 | 5 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Bachelor's Degree | $69,612 | $13,189 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $68,457 | $12,500 | 139 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $67,713 | Not available | Not reported |
| Fire Protection | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $66,689 | $18,971 | 1 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $62,303 | $15,153 | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $57,893 | $9,834 | 10 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $56,659 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $55,978 | $17,349 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $54,096 | $15,322 | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Associate's Degree | $52,616 | Not available | Not reported |
| Legal Support Services | Associate's Degree | $51,314 | $9,000 | Not reported |
| Security Science and Technology | Associate's Degree | $51,215 | Not available | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $51,204 | $5,500 | 38 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Associate's Degree | $48,988 | Not available | Not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $48,615 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Associate's Degree | $47,776 | $9,000 | Not reported |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $47,547 | Not available | 0 |
| Precision Metal Working | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,610 | Not available | 26 |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $46,154 | Not available | 23 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $44,569 | $8,125 | Not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $44,340 | $15,505 | Not reported |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $43,464 | Not available | 46 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Associate's Degree | $40,966 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's Degree | $38,687 | $6,725 | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $38,561 | $11,984 | Not reported |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Associate's Degree | $36,364 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $34,711 | Not available | 18 |
| Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $31,237 | $9,500 | 62 |
| Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $30,028 | Not available | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
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.