BaccalaureatePublicHSI

Palm Beach State College

Lake Worth, Florida·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·palmbeachstate.edu
6-yr Graduation
41%
Total enrollment
25,916
peer median 14,301
Avg net price
$9,832
+$3.6k vs Baccalaureate
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About

Palm Beach State College is a public college in Lake Worth, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. Palm Beach State College enrolls nearly 25,000 students in over 100 programs of study including bachelor of applied science, associate in arts and associate in science degree programs, and short-term certificates, as well as continuing education and avocational courses. In 2009, the college started its first baccalaureate program, a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Supervision & Management.

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
41%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
40%
Non-Pell
38%

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 90 Title IV programs, 17 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 73 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
90
Passing
17
18.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

90programs
  • Passing17 · 18.9%
  • No Data73 · 81.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
15
No data
73

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.

17
Hospitality Administration/Management
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+11.9%
$36,364 vs $32,488
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
+19.1%
$38,687 vs $32,488
Design and Applied Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+26.1%
$40,966 vs $32,488
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+36.5%
$44,340 vs $32,488
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+37.2%
$44,569 vs $32,488
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Associate Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+47.1%
$47,776 vs $32,488
Computer Software and Media Applications
Associate Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+50.8%
$48,988 vs $32,488
Security Science and Technology
Associate Degree · Security And Protective Services
+57.6%
$51,215 vs $32,488

Debt vs earnings

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

10
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
23%
$12,525 debt · $54,096 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
18%
$10,875 debt · $62,303 earn
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Associate Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
17%
$8,000 debt · $47,776 earn
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
15%
$10,075 debt · $69,612 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
13%
$5,750 debt · $44,569 earn
Practical Nursing Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants
Undergraduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
11%
$6,500 debt · $57,893 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
11%
$9,436 debt · $85,210 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
11%
$9,000 debt · $83,171 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1942Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 20

  1. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (ADNUR) - Associate degree programs
  2. Jun 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. May 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Feb 2024Removal of Monitoring Status
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  5. Aug 2023Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$8,862
$30–48k$9,567
$48–75k$11,376
$75–110k$14,504
$110k+$16,057

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

Avg net price
$9,832
+$3,586vs Baccalaureate median $6,246
Federal loans
9.9%
In-state tuition
$3,050
Out-of-state
$10,910

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 14,468 students received $66.4M in Pell grants, alongside $18.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
14,468
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$66.4M
$66,357,409 total
Direct Loans
$18.9M
6,059 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

11k
20
12k
21
12k
22
12k
23
14k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$9.1M
3,273 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$9.7M
2,770 loan awards
Parent PLUS$202K
16 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.

Of 1,811 borrowers who entered repayment, 72 (3.9%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.9%
+1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,811
Defaulted
72
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.2%
2017
11.4%
2018
10.0%
2019
3.9%
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 Palm Beach State College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs96
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,886 total completions
01Liberal Arts
2,80272.1%
02Health Professions
48112.4%
03Business
2636.8%
04Computer Sciences
1493.8%
05Public Admin
741.9%
06Visual/Performing Arts
320.8%
07Engineering Tech
300.8%
08Education
250.6%
09Security/Protective
160.4%
10Legal Professions
140.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
25,916
12-mo unduplicated
34,920
Undergraduate
34,920
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
39%13,659
Women
61%21,261

Race / ethnicity composition

Hispanic
35.5%
Black
30.3%
White
24.6%
Non-resident
2.5%
Two or more
2.5%
Asian
2.5%
Unknown
1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
87
52 M · 35 W
Women athletes
40.2%
Athletic aid
$573K
Total student aid
Budget
$1.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$269K
$304K
Recruiting expense
$1K
$743
Head-coach salaries
$53K
$33K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 4

Baseball
35 M ·
$323K
Basketball
17 M · 15 W
$431K
Volleyball
· 14 W
$187K
Beach Volleyball
· 14 W
$144K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.04
1 offenses · 24,223 students

3-year trend

0.042 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.04Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
0
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
1

By location

1total
  • On campus1

VAWA offenses

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

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
31.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
316

Palm Beach State College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Palm Beach State College selected for federal comparison reporting.

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
SubjectPalm Beach State College
41%25,916$9,832Baccalaureate
Broward College
30,728$20,077Baccalaureate
Central Piedmont Community College
20,375$3,660Community College
Daytona State College
12,820$7,201Baccalaureate
Delgado Community College
12,712$11,926Community College
Eastern Florida State College
14,053$5,939Baccalaureate
Fayetteville Technical Community College
11,755$3,723Community College
Florida SouthWestern State College
14,301$8,249Baccalaureate
Florida State College at Jacksonville
23,556$2,760Baccalaureate
Georgia State University-Perimeter College
90.8%17,437$10,102Community College
Greenville Technical College
11,999$6,246Community College
Hillsborough Community College
21,483$4,929Community College
Indian River State College
15,429$5,202Baccalaureate
J Sargeant Reynolds Community College
8,681$4,553Community College
Midlands Technical College
9,226$5,462Community College
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
8,694$7,372Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
56,457$8,554Community College
Pensacola State College
9,491$2,254Baccalaureate
Santa Fe College
12,758$11,154Baccalaureate
Seminole State College of Florida
15,390$3,119Baccalaureate
Southwest Tennessee Community College
100.0%7,004$4,588Community College
Tidewater Community College
16,884$7,991Community College
Trident Technical College
13,552-$3,220Community College
Valencia College
47,425$10,399Baccalaureate
Wake Technical Community College
24,609$6,935Community College
Peer group median41%95.4%14,301$6,246

Palm Beach State College Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness
Reports to Academic Affairs
Email
IRE [at] pbsc.edu
Phone
561-868-3275
Address
Technology Center | Room TC 303, 4200 Congress Avenue MS #19, Lake Worth, FL 33461

IRE provides planning, consulting, analytical and decision support services. Our goal is to foster informed decision making and provide insights that support high performance.

Visit IR office page
Team
8 members
  • Iva Bergeron
    Director of Assessment
  • Angel Camilo
    Business Intelligence Developer
  • Jayme Gough Cushing
    Quality Improvement Coordinator
  • Patricia Hoyle
    Report Writer
  • Linda Madera
    Project Reports Coordinator
  • Ayleen Martinez
    Associate Administrative Assistant
  • Jeff Nowak
    Research & Analytics Director
  • Joan Roberts
    Research Analyst, Sr

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.

Notable alumni of Palm Beach State College (15)

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

  • Ross Baumgarten
    Athletics
  • William Calley
    Military
  • Mark Foley
    Politics
  • Ken Green
    Athletics
  • Yolanda Griffith
    Athletics
  • Deidre Hall
    Entertainment
  • Tom Lewis
    Politics
  • Richard Machek
    Politics
  • Monte Markham
    Entertainment
  • Jesper Parnevik
    Athletics
  • Judge Reinhold
    Entertainment
  • Burt Reynolds
    Entertainment
Showing 112 of 15
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Palm Beach State College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Palm Beach State College.

What is the graduation rate at Palm Beach State College?

Palm Beach State College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 41% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Palm Beach State College?

Palm Beach State College reports a total enrollment of 25,916 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Palm Beach State College?

The average net price at Palm Beach State College is $9,832 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Palm Beach State College located?

Palm Beach State College is located in Lake Worth, Florida 33461-4796.

Who runs Institutional Research at Palm Beach State College?

Palm Beach State College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, which reports to Academic Affairs.

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