Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPrivate nonprofit

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, Florida·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·flsouthern.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
+6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
3,211
peer median 2,130
Avg net price
$29,664
+$7.8k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsGrantsAlumni

About

Florida Southern College is a private college in Lakeland, Florida, United States. In 2019, the student population at FSC consisted of 3,073 students along with 130 full-time faculty members. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate programs. The institution is home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
10,800
10,800 candidates competed
Admitted
6,957
64.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
762
11.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
71%+6.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
65%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
80%

Pell equity

3.0pp gap
Pell recipients
67%
Non-Pell
70%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 3.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 71 Title IV programs, 18 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 53 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
71
Passing
18
25.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

71programs
  • Passing18 · 25.4%
  • No Data53 · 74.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
16
No data
53

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

18
Physiology Pathology and Related Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+18.1%
$38,358 vs $32,488
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+18.1%
$54,810 vs $46,391
Ecology Evolution Systematics and Population Biology
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+34.0%
$43,549 vs $32,488
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
+35.4%
$62,793 vs $46,391
Accounting and Related Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+49.2%
$76,905 vs $51,545
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+51.8%
$49,315 vs $32,488
Criminology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+53.4%
$49,829 vs $32,488
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+59.8%
$51,925 vs $32,488

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

16
Physiology Pathology and Related Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
61%
$23,250 debt · $38,358 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
55%
$27,000 debt · $49,315 earn
Criminology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
54%
$27,000 debt · $49,829 earn
Ecology Evolution Systematics and Population Biology
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
54%
$23,500 debt · $43,549 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
49%
$30,750 debt · $62,793 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
48%
$25,000 debt · $51,925 earn
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
47%
$25,000 debt · $52,796 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
46%
$24,342 debt · $53,344 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1935Next review Dec 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 18

  1. Oct 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Dec 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$23,266
$30–48k$25,913
$48–75k$27,634
$75–110k$30,479
$110k+$34,331

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$29,664
+$7,782vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $21,883
Federal loans
54.1%
In-state tuition
$42,360
Out-of-state
$42,360

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,021 students received $6.2M in Pell grants, alongside $27.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,021
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$6.2M
$6,232,786 total
Direct Loans
$27.2M
3,394 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$5.1M
1,192 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.2M
1,438 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$5.2M
251 loan awards
Parent PLUS$9.1M
421 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.6M
92 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 729 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
729
Defaulted
6
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.2%
2017
5.8%
2018
4.3%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Florida Southern College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs75
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

848 total completions
01Business
25329.8%
02Health Professions
12214.4%
03Biological Sciences
11513.6%
04Education
769.0%
05Psychology
748.7%
06Visual/Performing Arts
738.6%
07Communication
536.3%
08Social Sciences
384.5%
09Computer Sciences
283.3%
10Mathematics
161.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
3,211
12-mo unduplicated
3,478
Undergraduate
2,763
Graduate
715

Gender split

Men
36%1,269
Women
64%2,209

Race / ethnicity composition

White
66.6%
Hispanic
15.4%
Black
6.3%
Non-resident
4.2%
Two or more
4.0%
Asian
2.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
Unknown
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
475
256 M · 219 W
Women athletes
46.1%
Athletic aid
$5.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$12.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$2.5M
$2.6M
Recruiting expense
$35K
$36K
Head-coach salaries
$65K
$60K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
73 M · 58 W
$520K
Lacrosse
74 M · 50 W
$1.5M
Soccer
37 M · 33 W
$1.1M
Baseball
65 M · —
$925K
Swimming
20 M · 23 W
$712K
Basketball
16 M · 14 W
$2.1M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
2.44
8 offenses · 3,281 students

3-year trend

1.172 yrs ago0.591 yr ago2.44Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
14
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
3
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
6

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
3
Burglary
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Fondling
1

By location

8total
  • On campus7
  • Non-campus1

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs08
Liquor012

Residence-hall fires

  • Lake Hollingsworth Apartments1 fire
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Lake Morton Villas1 fire
    CookingDamage $1,000-$9,999

Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
11.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
160

Florida Southern College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Florida Southern College selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectFlorida Southern College
71%—3,211$29,664Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Asbury University
65%63.4%2,100$20,428Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Berry College
69%64.0%2,484$21,568Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Christopher Newport University
72%86.0%4,454$22,197Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Eckerd College
66%75.8%1,893$33,011Baccalaureate
Greenville University
40%97.5%1,104$21,270Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
King's College
60%93.1%1,939$23,281Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Lebanon Valley College
65%83.8%2,146$28,132Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Stetson University
62%71.6%3,775$21,318Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
The University of Tampa
64%40.3%11,433$35,634Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Evansville
65%77.6%2,114$20,230Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
West Virginia Wesleyan College
57%93.3%1,055$18,148Baccalaureate
Peer group median65%77.6%2,130$21,883

Florida Southern College Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
ir [at] flsouthern.edu
Phone
863-680-5080
Address
111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive, Lakeland, FL 33801

The mission of the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness is to provide data, research, and analysis in support of the mission and strategic plan of Florida Southern College. The office offers assistance to academic, administrative, and support services units for institutional effectiveness, program assessment, data analysis, and reporting.

Visit IR office page
Team
5 members
  • Victoria Giordano, Ed.D.
    Associate Provost of Institutional Research and Assessment, Associate Professor of Education
  • Victoria Giordano, Ed.D.
    Associate Provost of Institutional Research and Assessment
  • Megan Herring
    Coordinator of Enrollment Reporting and Compliance
  • Carole Cox
    Senior IR Analyst
  • Aaron Thibodaux
    IR Data Analyst

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (4)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of Florida Southern College (26)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Lee Janzen
    Athletics
  • Robert M. Blackburn
    Religion
  • Abdallah Salem el-Badri
    International Relations
  • Andrew M. Boss
    Music
  • Emma Cannon
    Athletics
  • Charleene Closshey
    Entertainment
  • Rob Dibble
    Athletics
  • Eric Eisnaugle
    Law
  • Jim France
    Business
  • Robert L. Goulet
    Business
  • Matt Joyce
    Athletics
  • Neal Justin
    Politics
Showing 1–12 of 26
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about Florida Southern College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Florida Southern College.

What is the graduation rate at Florida Southern College?

Florida Southern College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Florida Southern College?

Florida Southern College reports a total enrollment of 3,211 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Florida Southern College?

The average net price at Florida Southern College is $29,664 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Florida Southern College?

Florida Southern College's yield rate is 11.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Florida Southern College located?

Florida Southern College is located in Lakeland, Florida 33801-5698.

Who runs Institutional Research at Florida Southern College?

Florida Southern College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

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