Valencia College
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 22.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $22.3 over 20 years.
Every $1 spent returns $22.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,024,011.
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What The Data Says
A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.
Graduation of 46% — 20% below the national average.
Social mobility rate of 2.14% — an engine of upward economic mobility.
Every $1 invested returns $22.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
Why Valencia College Matters
Valencia College is a public college in Orlando, FL and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong record of moving students up the income ladder. The result: durable upward mobility for the students it enrolls.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public College
- Carnegie Class
- Associate's College
- Enrollment
- 39,486
- Setting
- Urban
- Designations
- HSI
- Primary Strengths
- Humanities, Business & Marketing, Computer Science & IT, Health Professions
Why students choose Valencia 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 $12,037 a year after grants and scholarships — 30% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $40,594 ten years after enrolling — 0% above the typical college, against $9,300 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 2.1% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 25% nationally for mobility. High social capital (0.90 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Nearly 40,000 students choose Valencia College each year, making it a significant player in Florida's higher education landscape. With a focus on affordability, the average net price for students is just over $12,000, allowing many to pursue their degrees without overwhelming debt.
Data from Opportunity Insights indicates that students at Valencia College can expect to earn around $40,594 after ten years. This earning potential reflects a solid return on investment, particularly given the median debt of just $9,300. While the graduation rate sits at 46%, the college's emphasis on access and support for diverse student backgrounds—39% of whom receive Pell Grants—positions it as a stepping stone for many.
Valencia College thrives on its commitment to practical education in popular fields like Business, Computer Science, and Health Professions. Students who succeed here often take advantage of the college's strong connections with local industries. By focusing on career readiness and affordable education, Valencia ensures that a wide range of students can find their place and make strides toward a successful future.
Rankings
Can I Get In?
How selective Valencia 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 Valencia College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Valencia College, located in Orlando, Florida, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 46%.
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 Valencia College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
When weighing the true cost of attending Valencia College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $9,576 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $12,037 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,453 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $9,300.
What Families Actually Pay
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Valencia College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Valencia College report median earnings of $40,594; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.
Earnings Trajectory
How Valencia 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 Valencia College Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Valencia College delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $12,037/year ($48,148 total). Graduates earn $40,594 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,072,159 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,024,011 (22.3× your investment). The median debt is $9,300, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 46% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
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 Valencia College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Valencia 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 2.14%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here: roughly 15.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a genuine foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $62,000, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Valencia College produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 41 patents tied to its graduates.
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
Top Programs
The fields Valencia College awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Each links to its degree guide — with salary, growth, and the schools with the strongest outcomes.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Valencia College's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Valencia College? Acceptance Rate & Requirements +
Valencia College, located in Orlando, Florida, enrolls students across a range of programs. The school reports a graduation rate of roughly 46%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Valencia College? Tuition, Net Price & Aid +
When weighing the true cost of attending Valencia College, prospective students should look past the published sticker price of $9,576 in tuition. The figure that matters more is the average net price — the actual out-of-pocket cost after federal grants, institutional scholarships, and student loans — which works out to about $12,037 for families who qualify for aid. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $11,453 after need-based grants. Graduates leave with a median federal student-loan debt of about $9,300.
Is Valencia College Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI +
Ten years out, alumni of Valencia College report median earnings of $40,594; prospective students should weigh that figure against the program's cost when calculating return on investment.
Does Valencia College Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes +
Valencia 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 2.14%, among the highest in the country. Access is a real strength here: roughly 15.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a genuine foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 13.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $62,000, a useful read on the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Valencia 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 Valencia College, with an economic connectedness score of 0.90 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.06). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Valencia College.
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Valencia 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 Valencia College, with an economic connectedness score of 0.90 (about 1.0 is the national norm). Its friending bias sits near the middle of the range (0.06). Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note