Eckerd College vs Palm Beach Atlantic University

Eckerd College and Palm Beach Atlantic University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Eckerd, a private liberal arts college in St. Petersburg, Florida, boasts a 68% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 22% of undergraduates identifying as minorities. Its popular majors include Marine Science, Biology, and Psychology. Palm Beach Atlantic University, a private Christian university in West Palm Beach, Florida, has a slightly lower acceptance rate of 58% and a more homogeneous student body, with only 15% of undergraduates identifying as minorities. Its popular majors include Business, Nursing, and Psychology. Both universities offer competitive graduation rates, with Eckerd at 79% and Palm Beach Atlantic at 75%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Eckerd College	Palm Beach Atlantic University
Overview
Location	Saint Petersburg, Florida	West Palm Beach, Florida
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	81.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Presbyterian	Interdenominational

Admission
Acceptance rate	70.4%	89.9%
Application fees	$40	$50
SAT range	N/A	1030 - 1240
ACT range	N/A	20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		77.0%
Students submitting ACT score		31.0%
Total number of applicants	5,580	1,923
Total number of admissions given out	3,927	1,728
Admitted students who chose to enroll	650	505
Yield rate	16.6%	29.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$65,636	$53,668
Average net price	$37,494	$27,881
Tuition	$47,044	$33,538
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,052 Meal plan: $6,430	Room/dormitory: $5,872 Meal plan: $5,256
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $27,244	99.0% Average amount $23,465
Students receiving federal student loan	52.0% Average amount $5,157	51.0% Average amount $5,286
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $22,106	6.0% Average amount $14,922

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,036 Men 30.4% Women 69.6%	2,837 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	N/A	850 Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	83.2%	52.3%
International students	3.8%	4.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,760	1,228
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Texas	Florida New York New Jersey Pennsylvania Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Social Sciences Foreign Languages and Literatures Business Psychology	Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	68.2%	60.8%
Dropout rate	29.8%	36.5%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,218 Year 3: $60,577 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,708 Year 3: $48,571 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,169 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $35,583 Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,555 Year 2: $28,960 Year 3: $32,408 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,909 Year 2: $22,268 Year 3: $27,862 Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,542 Year 2: $22,814 Year 3: $25,771 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,172 Year 2: $20,322 Year 3: $25,523 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,596 Year 3: $24,653 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,382 Year 3: N/A Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: N/A	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $95,539 Year 2: $113,354 Year 3: $121,395 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,430 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $57,694 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,359 Year 2: $54,996 Year 3: $55,997 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $45,575 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $44,914 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $40,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,875 Year 2: $36,668 Year 3: $40,718 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,924 Year 2: $40,392 Year 3: $40,381 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $33,527 Year 2: $36,151 Year 3: $36,801 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,547 Year 2: $32,925 Year 3: $36,792

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