More selective than 52% of Florida colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $60,768. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of Florida colleges we cover and 79% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 79% of Florida colleges we cover and 57% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
FSC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 10,874 applicants, Florida Southern College admitted 6,423 and 640 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1330 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
FSC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
Florida residents: students may qualify for Bright Futures, the state's merit scholarship, at eligible Florida colleges. Award amounts by school are coming to this page.
FSC majors, earnings & careers
Florida Southern College offers 49 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 10
- Arts & Design · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Business & Finance · 7
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at FSC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $93,335 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $82,328 | — |
| Accounting | $72,480 | $24,187 |
| Business Administration | $65,104 | $23,250 |
| Biology | $58,782 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $57,128 | $23,250 |
| Psychology | $53,344 | $25,500 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $52,796 | $25,955 |
Quick list of all 49 majors
- Accounting$72,480
- Agricultural Business—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,782
- Biotechnology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$65,104
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer Science$82,328
- Criminology$49,829
- Dance—
- Data Analytics—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology$43,549
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$49,315
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Literature—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing$93,335
- Philosophy—
- Physiology$38,358
- Political Science$57,128
- Psychology$53,344
- Public Relations and Advertising$52,796
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre$51,925
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Lakeland
Overall prices in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,608. Housing costs 4% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 57 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (very high); tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Polk County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Polk County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare FSC with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Florida by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Southern College | 64% | $28,551 | 71% | $55,294 | This school |
| Ringling College of Art and Design | 70% | $57,742 | 72% | $43,325 | |
| Stetson University | 72% | $19,372 | 62% | $51,642 | |
| Florida Institute of Technology | 58% | $35,639 | 64% | $43,137 | |
| Eckerd College | 76% | $38,071 | 66% | $51,819 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Florida Southern College would cost you $29,191 less per year than Ringling College of Art and Design, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Florida Southern College, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$13,860).
- Florida Southern College gives aided families $9,683 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Florida resident | FSC | Ringling College of Art and Design | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $44,040 | $57,900 | −$13,860 |
| Books & supplies | $1,250 | $2,700 | −$1,450 |
| Housing & meals | $13,800 | $17,850 | −$4,050 |
| Personal & travel | $3,390 | $5,179 | −$1,789 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,712 | −$3,353 | +$1,641 |
| Sticker price | $60,768 | $80,276 | −$19,508 |
| Average grants | −$32,217 | −$22,534 | −$9,683 |
| You pay | $28,551 | $57,742 | −$29,191 |
“+” means FSC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about FSC
What is the FSC acceptance rate?
Florida Southern College accepts 64% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,423 of 10,874 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1150–1330 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
How much does Florida Southern College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $60,768 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $28,551 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,624 and families earning $110k+ pay $33,706.
How much do FSC graduates earn?
Former Florida Southern College students earn a median $55,294 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the FSC graduation rate?
71% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
Is FSC the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing FSC with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score