St Petersburg College vs Polk State

St. Petersburg College and Polk State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Florida, offer diverse educational opportunities to students seeking a transformative college experience. While they share a commitment to academic excellence, these colleges have distinct characteristics that set them apart. St. Petersburg College boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Polk State College maintains a slightly more selective admissions process. In terms of student demographics, St. Petersburg College hosts a larger and more diverse student body, reflecting the vibrant cultural tapestry of the Tampa Bay area. Polk State College, on the other hand, has a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community atmosphere. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these colleges, including popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

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

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	Open Admission
Application fees		$40
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
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: $17,401 Out of state: $26,307	In state: $19,893 Out of state: $26,497
Average net price	$8,227	$2,477
Tuition	In state: $2,483 Out of state: $9,933	In state: $1,943 Out of state: $7,774
Room & board
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $5,400	67.0% Average amount $9,016
Students receiving federal student loan	7.0% Average amount $4,728	18.0% Average amount $5,467
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	0.0% Average amount $9,477

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,044 Men 34.4% Women 65.6%	24,543 Men 37.6% Women 62.4%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	0.3%	2.1%
International students	1.4%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	N/A	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	N/A	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Florida California Georgia Iowa Mississippi	Florida New York California North Carolina Georgia

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	33.2%	36.1%
Dropout rate	51.4%	47.3%
Transferred out	11.2%	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,133 Year 2: $65,512 Year 3: $70,175 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,638 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $59,112 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,802 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $54,743 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,373 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $51,385 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,790 Year 2: $43,128 Year 3: $48,061 Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $32,483 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $46,336 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,700 Year 2: $43,696 Year 3: $45,727 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,290 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $43,961 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,858 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $42,846 Public Health (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,491 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $41,499

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