How much debt do Florida Gulf Coast University economics graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $12,754, which ranks the lowest of 11 economics bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $135 a month over 10 years.

Is a economics degree from Florida Gulf Coast University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 27% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 43%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Florida programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Florida Gulf Coast University Economics (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Florida Gulf Coast University economics graduates stay in Florida?

Most do. 85% (17 of 20) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Economics
Public university
Fort Myers, FL
About 21 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Florida Gulf Coast University economics graduates earn about what economics graduates earn nationally, $47,344 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $12,754 in federal loans, less than at 95% of economics programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying economics degrees in Florida.

First-year earnings$47,34435th percentile of 338 programs nationally

Median federal debt$12,754The lowest of 11 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings27%Florida median 48%, national 43%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Florida and national columns are the medians across all economics bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$47,344	$47,304	$51,725
Median federal debt at graduation	$12,754	$21,500	$22,717
Debt as share of first-year pay	27%	48%	43%
Programs compared		11	338

Debt and first-year pay at every Florida economics program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Florida medians.

Florida Gulf Coast UniversityOther Florida programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $135 a month, or 3.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

85% of graduates (17 of 20) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Cape Coral area are about 2% above the national average, so a $47,344 salary here buys what about $46,257 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to economics, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$60,410

Median pay in Florida. 49,810 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,210Top 10%: $77,100

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

$75,450

Median pay in Florida. 60,770 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 82,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $38,830Top 10%: $130,570

Data Scientists

$115,820

Median pay in Florida. 10,240 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 35% from 2025 to 2035, with about 24,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $63,080Top 10%: $174,140

Social Science Research Assistants

$50,700

Median pay in Florida. 1,130 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $33,190Top 10%: $81,520

About Florida Gulf Coast University

In-state tuition and fees	$6,118 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$25,162 / year
Average net price after aid	$12,568 / year
Admission rate	63%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	57%
Undergraduate students	13,874

Economics ranks 10th of 34 bachelor's programs at Florida Gulf Coast University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($70,964), Civil Engineering ($64,411), and Biomedical Engineering ($62,972).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $47,344 one year after graduating. The median across economics bachelor's programs in Florida is $47,304.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Florida comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the economics program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Economics bachelor's programs in Florida, ranked11 programs by pay and debt Economics bachelor's programs in the US, ranked338 programs by pay and debt All Florida Gulf Coast University programs, ranked34 programs by pay and debt