Santa Fe College
- Graduation Rate
- 53% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $41,631 C
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $11,098 B
- 35% less than the typical college
- Enrollment
- 11,122
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 23.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $23.3 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $23.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $988,323.
What The Data Says
-
A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
-
Every $1 invested returns $23.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
About Santa Fe College
Santa Fe 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
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 11,122
- Setting
- Suburban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing
Why students choose Santa Fe 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 $11,098 a year after grants and scholarships — 35% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $41,631 ten years after enrolling — 2% above the typical college, against $11,310 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.8% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 35% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.97 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Santa Fe College serves over 11,100 students, making it a key player in the Gainesville area. Its graduation rate stands at 53%, indicating that just over half of students complete their programs in a timely manner. This statistic is crucial for prospective students to consider when evaluating their educational journey.
According to Opportunity Insights data, Santa Fe College does not provide a detailed mobility rate. However, students who graduate can expect to earn an average of $41,631 within ten years. This income level is important for assessing long-term financial stability and career prospects after graduation.
The cost of attendance is relatively low, with a net price of $11,098 and a median debt of $11,310. This accessibility makes Santa Fe College an attractive option for many students, especially those who receive Pell Grants, which account for 28% of the student body. Students in popular programs such as Humanities, Health Professions, Computer Science & IT, Business & Marketing, and Construction Trades often thrive here, finding valuable pathways to careers in a variety of fields.
Rankings
- #21 Best Nursing Colleges in Florida
- #27 Best Computer Science Colleges in Florida
- #27 Best Data Science Colleges in Florida
- #31 Best Online Computer Science Programs in Florida
- #35 Best Master's Programs in Florida
- #35 Best Online Colleges in Florida
- #36 Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Florida
- #38 Best Colleges in Florida
Can I Get In?
How selective Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Santa Fe College, located in Gainesville, Florida, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.
- Full-Time Faculty
- 33%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $6,821
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 20:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.68
- First-Gen Students
- 42%
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 Santa Fe College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Santa Fe College is $9,189, 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 $11,098. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,268 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,310 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $2,563
- Out-of-State
- $9,189
- Avg Net Price
- $11,098
- Median Debt
- $11,310
- Pell Grant Rate
- 28%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 11%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $10,268
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $10,485
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $11,608
- Family Income $110K+
- $13,201
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 Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Fe College report median earnings of $41,631, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $34,919
- 8 Years
- $39,067
- 10 Years
- $41,631
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.27x
- Earning > $25K
- 52%
Earnings Trajectory
How Santa 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 Santa Fe College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Santa Fe College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $11,098/year ($44,392 total). Graduates earn $41,631 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,032,715 in total earnings — a net gain of $988,323 (23.3× your investment). The median debt is $11,310, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 53% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $44,392
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,032,715
- Net Return
- $988,323
- ROI Multiple
- 23.3×
- Cost Per Year
- $11,098
- Median Debt
- $11,310
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 53%
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 Santa Fe College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Santa Fe 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 1.81%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 14.8% 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 12.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.81%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 12.2%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 14.8%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $90,214
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Federal Grants
- $4,197,722
- Investment Income
- $-667,763
Top Programs
The fields Santa Fe 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 64%
- Health Professions 19% $85,421 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 7% $25,506 early-career
- Business & Marketing 4% $37,524 early-career
- Construction Trades 1%
- Criminal Justice 1% $44,996 early-career
- Precision Production 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 Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Santa Fe College, located in Gainesville, Florida, enrolls students across a range of programs. The graduation rate is roughly 53%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Santa Fe College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Santa Fe College is $9,189, 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 $11,098. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,268 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,310 in federal student loans.
Is Santa Fe College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Santa Fe College report median earnings of $41,631, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does Santa Fe College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Santa Fe 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 1.81%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 14.8% 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 12.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $66,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.97, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Santa Fe College.
- Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY · Close peer55% grad $43,889 earn 94% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY · Close peer50% grad $45,795 earn 78% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- New Mexico State University-Main CampusLas Cruces, NM · Close peer54% grad $39,067 earn 89% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- North Carolina A & T State UniversityGreensboro, NC · Close peer56% grad $44,440 earn 50% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate · similar size
- Troy UniversityTroy, AL · Close peer48% grad $42,062 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
- Arkansas State UniversityJonesboro, AR · Close peer55% grad $42,617 earn 82% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe College. Its economic connectedness score is 0.97, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.08). Around 5% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note