Northwest Florida State College
#10 Most Affordable Colleges in Florida- Graduation Rate
- 41% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $39,664 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $4,571 A
- 73% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 3,010
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 53.0× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $53.0 over 20 years. Ranked #10 in Most Affordable Colleges in Florida.
Every $1 spent returns $53.0 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $951,646.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduation of 41% — 29% below the national average.
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Every $1 invested returns $53.0 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Why Northwest Florida State College Matters
Northwest Florida State College is a public community college in Niceville, FL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by an above-average alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Community College
- Carnegie Class
- Baccalaureate College
- Enrollment
- 3,010
- Setting
- Suburban
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Computer Science & IT
Why students choose Northwest Florida State 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
This school does not report a competitive admit rate — most qualified applicants are admitted.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $4,571 a year after grants and scholarships — 73% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $39,664 ten years after enrolling — 3% below the typical college, against $7,932 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.5% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 49% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.10 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Over 3,000 students call Northwest Florida State College home. This public college, located in Niceville, Florida, emphasizes affordability with a net price of just $4,571, making it an accessible option for many.
Opportunity Insights data highlights the college's potential for upward mobility, though specific metrics like economic connectedness and mobility rate are not available. However, the graduation rate stands at 41%, indicating that while many students do complete their studies, a significant number do not finish.
Graduates earn an average of $39,664 within ten years of completing their degrees. A median debt of $7,932 suggests that financial burdens are manageable for many. Students who thrive here are often those pursuing programs in humanities, health professions, criminal justice, business, marketing, and computer science.
Rankings
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Florida
- #10 Best Online Education Programs in Florida
- #12 Best Online Computer Science Programs in Florida
- #13 Best Education Colleges in Florida
- #14 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Florida
- #18 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida
- #18 Best Online Business Programs in Florida
- #18 Best Online Nursing Programs in Florida
Can I Get In?
How selective Northwest Florida State 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 Northwest Florida State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Niceville, Florida, Northwest Florida State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 41%.
- Full-Time Faculty
- 32%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $6,280
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 21:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.59
- First-Gen Students
- 44%
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 Northwest Florida State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Northwest Florida State College is $10,612, 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 $4,571. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,683 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,932 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $2,583
- Out-of-State
- $10,612
- Avg Net Price
- $4,571
- Median Debt
- $7,932
- Pell Grant Rate
- 21%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 20%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $3,683
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $4,011
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $6,628
- Family Income $110K+
- $8,717
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 Northwest Florida State 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 Northwest Florida State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Northwest Florida State College report median earnings of $39,664, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $33,606
- 8 Years
- $37,769
- 10 Years
- $39,664
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.2x
- Earning > $25K
- 48%
Earnings Trajectory
How Northwest 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 Northwest Florida State College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Northwest Florida State College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $4,571/year ($18,284 total). Graduates earn $39,664 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $969,930 in total earnings — a net gain of $951,646 (53.0× your investment). The median debt is $7,932, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 41% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $18,284
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $969,930
- Net Return
- $951,646
- ROI Multiple
- 53.0×
- Cost Per Year
- $4,571
- Median Debt
- $7,932
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 41%
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 Northwest Florida State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Northwest Florida State 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 1.47%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $62,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.47%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 11.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 12.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $84,508
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $309,034
- Investment Income
- $23,642
Top Programs
The fields Northwest Florida State 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.
- Humanities 47%
- Health Professions 14% $74,555 early-career
- Business & Marketing 10% $43,660 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 7%
- Criminal Justice 5% $45,460 early-career
- Education 3% $40,851 early-career
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 3%
- Precision Production 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 Northwest Florida State 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+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
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Northwest Florida State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Niceville, Florida, Northwest Florida State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 41%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Northwest Florida State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Northwest Florida State College is $10,612, 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 $4,571. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,683 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,932 in federal student loans.
Is Northwest Florida State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Northwest Florida State College report median earnings of $39,664, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Northwest Florida State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Northwest Florida State 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 1.47%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 12.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $62,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Northwest Florida State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Northwest Florida State College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.10, 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 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Northwest Florida State College.
- Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusPortales, NM · Close peer42% grad $38,550 earn 92% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Gulf Coast State CollegePanama City, FL · Close peer44% grad $38,359 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Lake-Sumter State CollegeLeesburg, FL · Close peer46% grad $39,876 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- South Florida State CollegeAvon Park, FL · Close peer49% grad $39,990 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · same state
- Indiana University-NorthwestGary, IN · Close peer37% grad $43,361 earn 73% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
- Grayson CollegeDenison, TX · Close peer27% grad $40,873 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Northwest Florida State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs above average at Northwest Florida State College. Its economic connectedness score is 1.10, 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 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note