Polk State vs Hillsborough CC

Polk State College and Hillsborough Community College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Florida, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking a solid foundation for their academic and professional pursuits. While they share a commitment to academic excellence, these colleges have distinct characteristics that cater to different student needs and aspirations. Polk State College boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students with varying academic backgrounds. Hillsborough Community College, on the other hand, offers a wider range of popular majors, including in-demand fields like nursing and business, attracting a larger and more diverse student body. To help you make an informed decision about your educational journey, we present a comprehensive comparison of these two colleges, delving into their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Hillsborough Community College	Polk State College
Overview
Location	Tampa, Florida	Winter Haven, Florida
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	2 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	62.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants
Total number of admissions given out
Admitted students who chose to enroll
Yield rate
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	Not required	Not required
High school GPA	N/A	N/A
Recommendation letters	N/A	N/A
High school transcript	N/A	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $18,208 Out of state: $24,813	In state: $17,401 Out of state: $26,307
Average net price	$2,215	$8,227
Tuition	In state: $1,931 Out of state: $7,728	In state: $2,483 Out of state: $9,933
Room & board
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $6,557	54.0% Average amount $5,400
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,051	7.0% Average amount $4,728
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $11,079	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	19,198 Men 41.4% Women 58.6%	9,044 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	1.4%	0.3%
International students	1.7%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	420	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida Illinois Virginia Colorado Maryland	Florida California Georgia Iowa Mississippi

Academics
Popular study areas	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Computer and Information Science	Liberal Arts Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education
Students to faculty ratio	22:1	20:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	34.6%	33.2%
Dropout rate	46.4%	51.4%
Transferred out	9.4%	11.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,182 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $61,776 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $50,079 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $54,059 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $43,177 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,132 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $26,146 Year 2: $27,457 Year 3: $32,479 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,070 Year 2: $30,119 Year 3: $31,849 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $29,234 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $31,318 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $57,323 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $37,652 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $31,788 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Ophthalmic and Optometric Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $45,058 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,310 Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $68,291 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $57,694 Year 2: $53,001 Year 3: $52,096 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,742 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $49,605 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,427 Year 2: $35,274 Year 3: $40,565 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $47,233 Year 2: $41,007 Year 3: $40,265 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,616 Year 2: $34,660 Year 3: $39,777 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $23,837 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: $29,385 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $21,337 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $17,510

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Polk State vs Hillsborough CC

Hillsborough Community College

Polk State College

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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