About
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is a public college located in Fort Myers, Florida. Founded in 1962 as Edison Junior College, it offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Baccalaureate degrees, as well as various certificate programs. The college operates multiple campuses in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, and serves additional students in Hendry and Glades counties.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell recipients graduate at a higher rate than non-Pell students here — unusual and worth investigating.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 54 Title IV programs, 10 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 44 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing10 · 18.5%
- No Data44 · 81.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 5
Action history · 24
- Apr 2025Renewal of AccreditationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
- Mar 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Oct 2024Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: ProbationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
- Jun 2024Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: ProbationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 6,589 students received $30.4M in Pell grants, alongside $9.4M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,881 borrowers who entered repayment, 69 (3.6%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at FSW
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 4
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus1
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
FSW vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions FSW selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 SouthWestern State College | 39% | — | 14,301 | $8,249 | Baccalaureate |
College of Central Florida | — | — | 5,928 | $12,310 | Baccalaureate |
Daytona State College | — | — | 12,820 | $7,201 | Baccalaureate |
Eastern Florida State College | — | — | 14,053 | $5,939 | Baccalaureate |
Gulf Coast State College | — | — | 5,426 | $2,339 | Baccalaureate |
Indian River State College | — | — | 15,429 | $5,202 | Baccalaureate |
Northwest Florida State College | — | — | 4,752 | $5,554 | Baccalaureate |
Pasco-Hernando State College | — | — | 9,410 | $5,154 | Baccalaureate |
Pensacola State College | — | — | 9,491 | $2,254 | Baccalaureate |
Santa Fe College | — | — | 12,758 | $11,154 | Baccalaureate |
Seminole State College of Florida | — | — | 15,390 | $3,119 | Baccalaureate |
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota | — | — | 8,750 | $21,433 | Baccalaureate |
| Peer group median | 39% | — | 11,125 | $5,747 |
FSW Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research is responsible for the production and preservation of data resources to support decision making and strategic planning at Florida SouthWestern State College.
Visit IR office page- Joseph van GaalenAssistant Vice President, Institutional Research, Assessment and Effectiveness
- Joseph van Gaalen, Ph.D.Asst. VP of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness
- Christina DickeyCoordinator, Institutional Research
- Jessica HarberCoordinator, Institutional Research
- Emmaline BlikstadCoordinator, Investigative Institutional Research
Common Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardfsw.edu
- Data definitionTerms and Definitions | Florida SouthWestern State CollegeThe Florida SouthWestern State College 'Terms and Definitions' page outlines key institutional terms related to academic assessment and enhancement programs. It includes definitions of several committees and surveys like the Learning Assessment Committee (LAC), Effectiveness Coordinators (ECs), and assessment surveys such as the CCSSE and SENSE. The page also explains initiatives like the C-R-E-A-T-I-V-E competencies and the role of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) in fostering professional development among faculty.fsw.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryGlossary of Terms - Florida SouthWestern State CollegeThe glossary provided by Florida SouthWestern State College includes definitions of 62 key terms relevant to academic and administrative processes. Covering aspects from degrees, enrollment status, exams (AP and CLEP), credit systems, financial aid, and policies for course management, the glossary serves as a comprehensive resource for students and educators to navigate college procedures and academic criteria effectively. Highlighted terms include varying degree types, test programs for credit recognition, and essential policies like grade forgiveness and dual enrollment.catalog.fsw.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Frequently asked questions about Florida SouthWestern State College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about FSW.
What is the graduation rate at Florida SouthWestern State College?
How many students attend Florida SouthWestern State College?
What is the average net price at Florida SouthWestern State College?
Where is Florida SouthWestern State College located?
Who runs Institutional Research at Florida SouthWestern State College?
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