Skip to content
CollegeRanker
Pensacola State College logo
Public Pensacola, FL · Urban · Southeast · 80% data
A Value A Affordability C+ Diversity
Graduation Rate
39% D
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$36,739 C-
Below average for college graduates
Net Price
$3,957 A
77% less than the typical college
Enrollment
7,538
Earnings -10% vs avg
Graduation -31% vs avg
Net Price +-77% vs avg
Mobility Top 58%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 53.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $53.5 over 20 years. Ranked #6 in Most Affordable Colleges in Florida.

53.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $53.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $831,568.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduation of 39% — 31% below the national average.

  3. Every $1 invested returns $53.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

About Pensacola State College

Pensacola State College is profiled below with full outcomes data from federal sources.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Community College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate College
Enrollment
7,538
Setting
Urban
Primary Strengths
Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Culinary & Personal Services

Why students choose Pensacola State College

Outstanding value
Low net price against strong graduate earnings
Strength in Humanities
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 40% overall
C-
Earnings
$36,739 median
A
Value
9.3× net price
A
Affordability
$3,957/yr net
D
Graduation
39% graduate
C-
Social Mobility
1.3% climb Q1→Q5
C+
Diversity
0.63 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Over 7,500 students choose Pensacola State College for its affordable education, with a net price of just $3,957. This makes it an attractive option for those looking to minimize student debt while pursuing their academic goals.

Chetty/Opportunity Insights data indicates that graduates from Pensacola State College earn a median salary of $36,739 a decade after enrolling. While the graduation rate stands at 39%, the college serves a diverse student body, including 39% of students receiving Pell Grants, which can indicate a commitment to supporting low-income students.

Students thrive here who are focused on practical, career-oriented programs such as Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Culinary & Personal Services, and Computer Science & IT. With a median debt of $7,500, students can expect a manageable financial future as they enter the workforce.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Pensacola State College is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Pensacola State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 39%.

Full-Time Faculty
38%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$5,995
Student–Faculty Ratio
21:1
Diversity Index
0.63
First-Gen Students
49%

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 Pensacola State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Pensacola State College is $9,460, 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 $3,957. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,533 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$2,361
Out-of-State
$9,460
Avg Net Price
$3,957
Median Debt
$7,500
Pell Grant Rate
39%
Federal Loan Rate
8%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$3,533
Family Income $30K–$48K
$10,286
Family Income $48K–$75K
$10,678
Family Income $110K+
$11,594

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 Pensacola State College — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Pensacola State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Pensacola State College report median earnings of $36,739, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

6 Years After Entry
$32,495
8 Years
$34,122
10 Years
$36,739
Debt-to-Earnings
0.2x
Earning > $25K
45%

Earnings Trajectory

$32,495 6yr $34,122 8yr $36,739 10yr

How Pensacola Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation39%Earnings 10yr$37KNet Price$4KMedian Debt$8KPell Grant Rate39%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$4K$0-30K$10K$30-48K$11K$48-75K$12K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%18.3%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%7.2%MOBILITY1.33%

College ROI Calculator

Is Pensacola State College Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Pensacola State College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $3,957/year ($15,828 total). Graduates earn $36,739 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $847,396 in total earnings — a net gain of $831,568 (53.5× your investment). The median debt is $7,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 39% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$15,828
Projected 20yr Earnings
$847,396
Net Return
$831,568
ROI Multiple
53.5×
Cost Per Year
$3,957
Median Debt
$7,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
39%

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 Pensacola State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Pensacola 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 1.33%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 18.3% 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 7.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $58,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
1.33%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
7.2%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
18.3%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$79,073
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Pensacola State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Pensacola State College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.06). Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
0.87
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
0.06
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
5.3%
Support Ratio
0.98
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$1,298,325
Investment Income
$28,487

Top Programs

The fields Pensacola 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.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Pensacola State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Based in Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 39%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Pensacola State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Pensacola State College is $9,460, 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 $3,957. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $3,533 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $7,500 in federal student loans.

Is Pensacola State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Pensacola State College report median earnings of $36,739, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.

Does Pensacola State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Pensacola 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 1.33%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 18.3% 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 7.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $58,200, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Pensacola State College? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs around the national average at Pensacola State College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.87, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.06). Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Similar Schools

Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Pensacola State College.

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes for 2026 — report cover Download PDF

The 2026 Annual Report

The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

Free · 21 pages · 5,745 institutions · 100% federal data, no surveys