Florida Southern College
#8 Best Education Colleges in Florida- Graduation Rate
- 70% B-
- Solid completion rate — most students graduate
- Earnings (10yr)
- $55,294 B
- Well above the typical college graduate
- Net Price
- $28,551 F
- 67% more than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 64% B-
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 11.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $11.5 over 20 years. Ranked #8 in Best Education Colleges in Florida.
Every $1 spent returns $11.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,202,689.
What The Data Says
-
A C overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
-
Earnings 36% above the national college median.
-
Every $1 invested returns $11.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Florida Southern College Matters
Florida Southern College is a private university in Lakeland, 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 University
- Carnegie Class
- Master's University
- Enrollment
- 2,656
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- 71
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Health Professions, Visual & Performing Arts
Why students choose Florida Southern 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 64% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1150–1330. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $28,551 a year after grants and scholarships — 67% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $55,294 ten years after enrolling — 36% above the typical college, against $25,000 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.9% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 33% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.65 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Florida Southern College has an acceptance rate of 64%, making it a relatively accessible option for students. With an enrollment of 2,656, the college offers a close-knit community where students can engage deeply with their peers and faculty. This environment fosters collaboration and personalized attention, which can enhance the overall college experience.
Graduates from Florida Southern College earn a median salary of $55,294 ten years after graduation. While specific mobility rates are not available, the college's focus on programs like Business, Biology, and Health Professions suggests a solid foundation for upward mobility in various fields. This aligns with the reality that many graduates find themselves well-positioned in the job market.
The net price to attend Florida Southern College is approximately $28,551, with median student debt at $25,000. This financial landscape means students need to be mindful of their borrowing. Those who thrive here often possess a strong interest in the top programs offered, like Psychology and Visual & Performing Arts, and are looking for a supportive academic community that encourages personal growth and professional development.
Rankings
- #8 Best Education Colleges in Florida
- #12 Best Biology Colleges in Florida
- #12 Best MBA Programs in Florida
- #14 Best Communications Colleges in Florida
- #15 Best Computer Science Colleges in Florida
- #15 Best Data Science Colleges in Florida
- #16 Best Online Colleges in Florida
- #17 Best Colleges in Florida
Can I Get In?
How selective Florida Southern 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 Florida Southern College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Florida Southern College, located in Lakeland, Florida, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 64% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,252. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 64%
- Retention Rate
- 80%
- SAT Average
- 1252
- ACT Midpoint
- 28
- SAT Range
- 1150–1330
- ACT Range
- 25–30
- Full-Time Faculty
- 100%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,031
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 14:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.55
- First-Gen Students
- 28%
- Applicants
- 11,120
- Admitted
- 6,295
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 Florida Southern College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Florida Southern College is $44,040, 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 $28,551. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $23,624 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $44,040
- Out-of-State
- $44,040
- Avg Net Price
- $28,551
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Pell Grant Rate
- 28%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 54%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $23,624
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $21,385
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $25,830
- Family Income $110K+
- $33,706
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 Florida Southern 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 Florida Southern College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Florida Southern College earn a median of $55,294, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $47,749
- 8 Years
- $51,835
- 10 Years
- $55,294
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.45x
- Earning > $25K
- 71%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (354)
- 62%
- 100% (354)
- 62%
- 100% (354)
- 62%
- 100% (354)
- 62%
How Florida 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 Florida Southern College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Florida Southern College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $28,551/year ($114,204 total). Graduates earn $55,294 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,316,893 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,202,689 (11.5× your investment). The median debt is $25,000, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 70% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $114,204
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,316,893
- Net Return
- $1,202,689
- ROI Multiple
- 11.5×
- Cost Per Year
- $28,551
- Median Debt
- $25,000
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 70%
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 Florida Southern College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Florida Southern College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.86%, well above the typical college. About 7.7% 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 $85,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.86%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 24.1%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 7.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $116,029
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-1,750,331
Top Programs
The fields Florida Southern 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.
- Business & Marketing 21% $50,902 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 20% $33,980 early-career
- Health Professions 11% $72,503 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 11%
- Psychology 8% $32,668 early-career
- Social Sciences 5% $32,661 early-career
- Communications 5% $45,066 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 5% $71,109 early-career
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 Florida Southern 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
- C+Marketing Manager$156,580 · 8% growthAdaptable 64
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CAdvertising Manager$138,730 · 6% growthAdaptable 64
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Florida Southern College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Florida Southern College, located in Lakeland, Florida, offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 64% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,252. The graduation rate is roughly 70%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Florida Southern College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Florida Southern College is $44,040, 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 $28,551. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $23,624 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $25,000 in federal student loans.
Is Florida Southern College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Florida Southern College earn a median of $55,294, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Florida Southern College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Florida Southern College is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.86%, well above the typical college. About 7.7% 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 $85,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Florida Southern 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 Florida Southern College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.65, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Florida Southern College.
- Touro UniversityNew York, NY · Close peer68% grad $53,419 earn 61% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Alvernia UniversityReading, PA · Close peer57% grad $55,055 earn 58% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar size
- Baldwin Wallace UniversityBerea, OH · Close peer68% grad $54,122 earn 76% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Abilene Christian UniversityAbilene, TX · Close peer60% grad $55,736 earn 66% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar net price
- Biola UniversityLa Mirada, CA · Close peer68% grad $56,778 earn 74% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Berry CollegeMount Berry, GA · Close peer72% grad $53,800 earn 64% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Florida Southern 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 Florida Southern College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.65, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.03), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 8% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note