Is Pasco-Hernando State College Worth It?

Pasco-Hernando State College costs little and leaves you with little debt, but the payoff depends almost entirely on what you study. Median debt sits under $10,000, and net price runs about a fifth of what many public four-year schools charge. That keeps your downside low even if things don't work out.

Nursing is the reason to be here. The bachelor's in registered nursing pays around $64,990 ten years out, roughly $25,000 more than the school's median earnings across all programs. You take on more debt for it, near $18,500, but that debt buys a real salary in a field with steady demand across the New Port Richey region and Tampa Bay hospitals nearby. If you can get into and finish the nursing track, this is one of the strongest cost-to-return deals you'll find at a public college.

Outside nursing, the picture is weaker. The school's overall median earnings sit under $40,000, which means the typical graduate here lands close to what many jobs pay without a degree. No other bachelor-level program shows earnings strong enough to point to, so treat non-nursing paths as low-cost but low-return.

The biggest risk is the 42.9% graduation rate. Nearly six in ten of you won't finish on the expected timeline, and a degree you don't complete pays back nothing while the cost still lands on you. Low tuition softens that blow, but it doesn't erase it.

If your family earns under $30,000, you'll pay around $3,723 a year, and the low debt makes this a safe bet even if you're unsure of your major. At over $110,000, the roughly $10,700 price is still modest. This school fits you if you're aiming at nursing or want an affordable start. Look elsewhere if you need a specific high-paying non-nursing major.