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University or college · Private nonprofit

Eckerd College

St. Petersburg, FL

Eckerd College is a private nonprofit college in St. Petersburg, FL, with about 1,986 students on campus.

Visit www.eckerd.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
1,986
1,986 undergrad
Admission rate
76%
lower than at 53% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$38,071
higher than at 94% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
66%
higher than at 70% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$51,819
higher than at 74% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Eckerd College, in brief

Lower-income families pay more here than at most colleges

Families earning under $30,000 still pay about $29,615 a year after grants. The average family on aid pays $38,071, more than at 94% of 4-year colleges. What it costs ↓

Eckerd College focuses on biology

47% of the degrees Eckerd College awards are in biology; the next biggest field, natural resources, is 12%. Majors ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $68,944 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $51,884Room & board $14,734Books & supplies $1,350Other costs $976

After grants, the average family on aid pays $38,071.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$34,294

About $137,176 over 4 years · 50% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Eckerd College?

76%

of applicants admitted

About 15 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
600–690
SAT math
560–640
ACT
24–29

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1250.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
66%
within 6 years · Pell students 63%
Come back for year two
76%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$51,819
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

9.2%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $3,125 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

64%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 79% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$48k
Middle income$30–75k
$54k
Higher incomeover $75k
$56k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Biology 47%Natural resources 12%Business 10%Psychology 8%Social sciences 7%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 10%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology84 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$49k4 yrs out
Natural Resources Conservation and Research77 graduates a year · typical debt $24,500
$40k4 yrs out
Zoology/Animal Biology62 graduates a year
—not reported
Psychology, General46 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$53k4 yrs out
Biology, General44 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$48k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies17 graduates a year · typical debt $20,500
$61k4 yrs out
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics17 graduates a year · typical debt $25,490
$55k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations17 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

1,888 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 75%Hispanic 10%Black 3%Asian 2%Two or more 6%International 4%

Women and men

Women 70%Men 30%
11 : 1
students per teacher
21%
get Pell grants (lower income)
44%
take federal loans
1%
undergrads 25 or older
2%
study part time
The town around it

Living in St. Petersburg

7% of St. Petersburg’s 264,033 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ St. Petersburg pages.

St. Petersburg →
St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg, FL
$1,663/momedian rent · about the state median$352Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade53° / 91°January low / July highB+Health GradeAll colleges in and near St. PetersburgCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Eckerd College; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

St Petersburg CollegeUniversity or college · Public · St. Petersburg
5 mi13,501 students
Galen College of Nursing-Tampa BayUniversity or college · For-profit · St. Petersburg
10.6 mi1,601 students
Ultimate Medical AcademyCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Clearwater · mostly online
18.3 mi110 students
Arizona College of Nursing-TampaUniversity or college · For-profit · Tampa
19.4 mi337 students
State College of Florida-Manatee-SarasotaUniversity or college · Public · Bayshore Gardens
20.1 mi5,157 students
Hillsborough Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Tampa
20.7 mi11,704 students
The University of TampaUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Tampa
21 mi11,018 students
South University-TampaUniversity or college · For-profit · Tampa
21.7 mi379 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.