Eckerd College
#7 Best Biology Colleges in Florida- Graduation Rate
- 67% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $51,819 B
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $38,071 F
- 122% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 76% C
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 10.7× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $10.7 over 20 years. Ranked #7 in Best Biology Colleges in Florida.
Every $1 spent returns $10.7 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,474,506.
What The Data Says
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A C- overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Earnings 27% above the national college median.
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Every $1 invested returns $10.7 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Eckerd College Matters
Eckerd College is a private liberal arts college in Saint Petersburg, FL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Private Liberal Arts College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate · Arts & Sciences
- Enrollment
- 1,888
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- 66
- Primary Strengths
- Biology & Biomedical, Business & Marketing, Psychology, Social Sciences
Why students choose Eckerd College
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Competitive — admits about 76% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1160–1330. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $38,071 a year after grants and scholarships — 122% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $51,819 ten years after enrolling — 27% above the typical college, against $27,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 68% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.71 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Eckerd College has a graduation rate of 67%, a solid figure for a school with a 76% acceptance rate. This means most students who start their degrees here successfully finish. The college's intimate environment, with an enrollment of just under 1,900 students, allows for close faculty interaction and personalized attention.
According to Opportunity Insights data, specific mobility metrics are not available for Eckerd College. However, the school's focus on liberal arts and sciences can contribute to a broad educational foundation, potentially benefiting students from various backgrounds. While detailed economic mobility data isn't provided, the emphasis on experiential learning and practical applications in fields like Biology, Business, and Psychology may aid in post-graduation success.
Cost considerations are essential for prospective students. The net price of attending Eckerd is about $38,071, with a median debt of $27,000 for graduates. Alumni earn an average of $51,819 ten years after graduation, which can help ease student debt burdens. Students who thrive here often seek a close-knit community and are interested in interdisciplinary studies, making it a good fit for those looking for a supportive environment in Florida.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Eckerd College is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Eckerd College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Eckerd College, located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 76%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,250. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 76%
- Retention Rate
- 76%
- SAT Average
- 1250
- SAT Range
- 1160–1330
- ACT Range
- 24–29
- Full-Time Faculty
- 89%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,920
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 11:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.42
- First-Gen Students
- 20%
- Applicants
- 5,549
- Admitted
- 3,612
Inside the Admissions Office
School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25
The acceptance rate tells you how hard Eckerd College is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 12% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.
- Yield Rate
- 12%
- of admits enroll
- Submitted SAT
- 26%
- of enrolled freshmen
- Submitted ACT
- 16%
- of enrolled freshmen
Test-optional, in practice. Only about 42% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Eckerd College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Eckerd College is $51,884, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $38,071. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $29,615 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $27,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $51,884
- Out-of-State
- $51,884
- Avg Net Price
- $38,071
- Median Debt
- $27,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 21%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 44%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $29,615
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $34,524
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $34,294
- Family Income $110K+
- $43,955
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Eckerd College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Eckerd College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Eckerd College earn a median of $51,819, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $37,505
- 8 Years
- $47,222
- 10 Years
- $51,819
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.52x
- Earning > $25K
- 61%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (300)
- 59%
- 100% (300)
- 59%
- 100% (300)
- 59%
- 100% (300)
- 59%
How Eckerd Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Eckerd College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Eckerd College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $38,071/year ($152,284 total). Graduates earn $51,819 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,626,790 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,474,506 (10.7× your investment). The median debt is $27,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 67% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $152,284
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,626,790
- Net Return
- $1,474,506
- ROI Multiple
- 10.7×
- Cost Per Year
- $38,071
- Median Debt
- $27,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 67%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Eckerd College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Eckerd College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.15%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 4.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 24.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $113,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.15%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 24.1%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 4.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $153,663
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $4,687,977
- Investment Income
- $-7,197,081
Top Programs
The fields Eckerd College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Biology & Biomedical 47% $27,107 early-career
- Business & Marketing 10% $72,739 early-career
- Psychology 8% $34,410 early-career
- Social Sciences 7% $30,854 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 5%
- Physical Sciences 2%
- Computer Science & IT 2% $56,154 early-career
- English & Literature 2%
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Eckerd College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- CPhysicist$142,850 · 5% growthAdaptable 66
- CAstronomer$142,850 · 4% growthAdaptable 66
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Eckerd College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Eckerd College, located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 76%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,250. The graduation rate is roughly 67%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Eckerd College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Eckerd College is $51,884, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $38,071. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $29,615 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $27,000 in federal student loans.
Is Eckerd College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Eckerd College earn a median of $51,819, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Eckerd College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Eckerd College is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.15%, in line with strong performers nationally. About 4.8% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 24.1% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $113,100, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Eckerd College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Eckerd College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.71, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 12% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Does Eckerd College offer Early Decision?
No. Eckerd College does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2024-25 Common Data Set).
Is Eckerd College really test-optional?
In practice, yes. Only about 42% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Eckerd College (2024-25 Common Data Set).
What percentage of admitted students enroll at Eckerd College?
About 12% of admitted students choose to enroll at Eckerd College — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Eckerd College.
- Concordia University-WisconsinMequon, WI · Close peer66% grad $56,075 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Taylor UniversityUpland, IN · Close peer75% grad $52,198 earn 74% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Nazareth UniversityRochester, NY · Close peer73% grad $56,458 earn 75% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Mount UnionAlliance, OH · Close peer62% grad $53,217 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of New EnglandBiddeford, ME · Close peer65% grad $55,921 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Shenandoah UniversityWinchester, VA · Close peer69% grad $58,433 earn 77% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Eckerd College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Eckerd College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.71, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.02), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 12% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note