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

The median federal loan balance is $16,144, which ranks 2nd lowest of 13 English bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $171 a month over 10 years.

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

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 60% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 77%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Florida programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

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

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

Most do. 89% (41 of 46) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in English Language and Literature, General
Public university
Fort Myers, FL
About 36 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Florida Gulf Coast University English graduates earn about what English graduates earn nationally, $27,097 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $16,144 in federal loans, less than at 91% of English programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying English degrees in Florida.

First-year earnings$27,09731st percentile of 471 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$48,65080% more than year one

Median federal debt$16,1442nd lowest of 13 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings60%Florida median 70%, national 77%

How it compares

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

	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,097	$26,917	$30,195
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$48,650	$45,287	$47,348
Median federal debt at graduation	$16,144	$19,686	$24,498
Debt as share of first-year pay	60%	70%	77%
Programs compared		13	471

Five years out, Florida Gulf Coast University graduates earn about the national figure and about $3,363 more than the Florida median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Florida English 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.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 80% between the first and fifth year.

Florida Gulf Coast University grads, year 1$27,097

Florida Gulf Coast University grads, year 5$48,650

All Florida English grads, year 5$45,287

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $171 a month, or 7.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

89% of graduates (41 of 46) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Cape Coral area are about 2% above the national average, so a $27,097 salary here buys what about $26,475 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 English, 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

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

$35,610

Median pay in Florida. 200 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,100 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $33,620Top 10%: $119,150

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

English ranks 33rd 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 $27,097 one year after graduating and $48,650 five years after. The median across English bachelor's programs in Florida is $26,917.

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 English 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

English bachelor's programs in Florida, ranked13 programs by pay and debt English bachelor's programs in the US, ranked471 programs by pay and debt All Florida Gulf Coast University programs, ranked34 programs by pay and debt