Florida’s community college graduates with vocational certificates and two-year occupational degrees start at higher salaries than state university graduates with bachelor’s degrees, the state reports.

Why? Two words: health careers. With an associate degree in applied science,  community college graduates are earning serious money as nurses, medical technicians, etc.  Others are prepared for jobs as computer techs, paralegals and utility workers. I’m surprised six-month certificate holders are earning more than four-year graduates, but many of those bachelor’s degrees are in non-technical majors with little labor market value.

Community college students in career programs aren’t pondering the meaning of life, but neither are most four-year students, who are piling up a lot of debt for that sociology degree.