Polk State College
#7 Best Online Education Programs in Florida- Graduation Rate
- 35% D
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $40,624 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $9,427 B
- 45% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 7,180
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 25.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years. Ranked #7 in Best Online Education Programs in Florida.
Every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $910,751.
What The Data Says
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A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
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Graduation of 35% — 39% below the national average.
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Social mobility rate of 2.08% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
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Every $1 invested returns $25.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
About Polk State College
Polk 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
- 7,180
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Criminal Justice
Why students choose Polk 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 $9,427 a year after grants and scholarships — 45% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $40,624 ten years after enrolling — 0% above the typical college, against $10,076 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 26% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.94 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Polk State College serves over 7,100 students in Winter Haven, Florida, with a net price of $9,427, making it an affordable option for many. The college’s graduation rate stands at 35%. This figure indicates that while a significant number of students begin their studies here, a smaller portion complete their degrees within a traditional timeframe.
In terms of outcomes, graduates from Polk State earn a median salary of $40,624 ten years after enrollment. The data reflects the potential return on investment for students, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, as 32% of students receive Pell Grants. This financial support can be crucial for those seeking to improve their economic standing through education.
Polk State College caters to a diverse range of interests with strong programs in humanities, health professions, business, criminal justice, and computer science. The average debt for graduates is $10,076, which is relatively low compared to national averages. Students who thrive here are often those seeking practical, career-oriented education in fields with steady demand and growth potential.
Rankings
- #7 Best Online Education Programs in Florida
- #8 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Florida
- #11 Best Online Computer Science Programs in Florida
- #11 Best Online Nursing Programs in Florida
- #12 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida
- #14 Best Online Business Programs in Florida
- #20 Best Nursing Colleges in Florida
- #31 Best Business Colleges in Florida
Can I Get In?
How selective Polk 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 Polk State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Winter Haven, Florida, Polk State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 35%.
- Full-Time Faculty
- 39%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $7,338
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 20:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.82
- First-Gen Students
- 51%
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 Polk State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Polk State College is $9,817, 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 $9,427. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,446 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,076 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $2,694
- Out-of-State
- $9,817
- Avg Net Price
- $9,427
- Median Debt
- $10,076
- Pell Grant Rate
- 32%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 6%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $9,446
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $9,203
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $9,502
- Family Income $110K+
- $7,464
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 Polk 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 Polk State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Polk State College report median earnings of $40,624, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,602
- 8 Years
- $37,426
- 10 Years
- $40,624
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.25x
- Earning > $25K
- 51%
Earnings Trajectory
How Polk 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 Polk State College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Polk State College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $9,427/year ($37,708 total). Graduates earn $40,624 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $948,459 in total earnings — a net gain of $910,751 (25.2× your investment). The median debt is $10,076, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 35% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $37,708
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $948,459
- Net Return
- $910,751
- ROI Multiple
- 25.2×
- Cost Per Year
- $9,427
- Median Debt
- $10,076
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 35%
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 Polk State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Polk 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 2.08%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.7% 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 12.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $59,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 2.08%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 12.4%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 16.7%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $80,840
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $1,657,842
- Investment Income
- $-14,012
Top Programs
The fields Polk 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 43%
- Health Professions 19% $83,715 early-career
- Business & Marketing 16% $41,183 early-career
- Criminal Justice 13% $41,912 early-career
- Education 3%
- Computer Science & IT 2%
- Transportation 1%
- Mechanic & Repair Tech 0%
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 Polk 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 Polk State College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Based in Winter Haven, Florida, Polk State College enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 35%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Polk State College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Polk State College is $9,817, 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 $9,427. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $9,446 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $10,076 in federal student loans.
Is Polk State College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Polk State College report median earnings of $40,624, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Polk State College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Polk 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 2.08%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 16.7% 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 12.4% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $59,500, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Polk 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 Polk State College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.94, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Polk State College.
- West Los Angeles CollegeCulver City, CA · Close peer24% grad $38,537 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar size · similar net price
- Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC · Close peer37% grad $40,144 earn 82% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Tyler Junior CollegeTyler, TX · Close peer27% grad $38,140 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Middle Georgia State UniversityMacon, GA · Close peer25% grad $40,863 earn 100% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- University of Arkansas-Fort SmithFort Smith, AR · Close peer37% grad $41,102 earn 80% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Crafton Hills CollegeYucaipa, CA · Close peer31% grad $42,553 earnWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Polk 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 Polk State College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.94, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.04), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 6% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note