College Scorecard
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $13,451. College Scorecard.
Higher than 12% of Florida colleges we cover and 19% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 35% of Florida colleges we cover and 14% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Polk State College acceptance rate & admissions
Test scores: College Scorecard. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Polk State College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Florida residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, 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.
Polk State College majors, earnings & careers
Polk State College offers 5 bachelor's majors across 5 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 1
- Education · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Polk State College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $94,269 | $22,416 |
| Criminal Justice | $55,634 | $15,769 |
| Business Administration | $52,404 | $17,030 |
Quick list of all 5 majors
- Air Transportation—
- Business Administration$52,404
- Criminal Justice$55,634
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Nursing$94,269
— 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. 52 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 Polk State College with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk State College | — | $9,427 | 35% | $40,624 | This school |
| Pensacola State College | — | $3,957 | 36% | $36,739 | |
| State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota | — | $22,356 | 38% | $40,318 | |
| Pasco-Hernando State College | — | $5,203 | 41% | $39,903 | |
| College of Central Florida | — | $12,088 | 44% | $38,203 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Polk State College would cost you $5,470 more per year than Pensacola State College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Polk State College.
- Pensacola State College gives aided families $3,913 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Florida resident | Polk State College | Pensacola State College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticker price | $13,451 | $11,894 | +$1,557 |
| Average grants | −$4,024 | −$7,937 | +$3,913 |
| You pay | $9,427 | $3,957 | +$5,470 |
“+” means Polk State College 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 Polk State College
How much does Polk State College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $13,451 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,427 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,446 and families earning $110k+ pay $7,464.
How much do Polk State College graduates earn?
Former Polk State College students earn a median $40,624 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Polk State College graduation rate?
35% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.
Is Polk State College the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing Polk State College 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