Admit rate has ranged 50%–61% over the last 5 years — notably volatile, though the latest figure above (64%) falls outside that window. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Florida Southern College is a private, Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college in Lakeland that feels like a sunny, palm-lined academic village with a pragmatic streak. It’s known for its sprawling collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture—the largest single-site collection in the world—which lends the campus a distinct, mid-century modern aesthetic. The vibe is active and traditional, with a strong emphasis on pre-professional programs, a robust Greek scene, and a student body that largely lives on a lush, residential campus.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Letters of recommendation
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Demonstrated competencies
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
2,656
In-state tuition
$44,040
Out-of-state tuition
$44,040
Full-Time Faculty
149
Most Popular Major
Business Administration & Management (16%)
On-Campus Students
81%
Median Earnings (10yr)
$55,294
Six-Year Graduation Rate
69%
Placement Rate (6 months)
99%
Average Financial Aid Package
$32,331
Student Clubs & Organizations
100+
First-Year Students Receiving Aid
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$55,294
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.9×
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
71%
First-year retention
80%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
64%
Pell (lower-income) share
28%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
28%
Financial health
2.8 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$61,020
Computer Science$59,846
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$42,030
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$40,821
Business Administration, Management and Operations$38,289
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
1
Per 1,000 students
0.31
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
125
Summer high
89°F
Winter low
54°F
Annual rain
59.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
49
Scholarly works
918
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.9%
Bottom → top quintile
24%
From bottom quintile
8%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Florida Southern College?
Florida Southern College's acceptance rate is approximately 64% (Lakeland, FL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Florida Southern College?
Admitted students at Florida Southern College typically score 1150–1330 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Florida Southern College cost?
At Florida Southern College, the average net price (after aid) is about $28,551 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Florida Southern College?
Florida Southern College enrolls approximately 2,656 undergraduate students.
Where is Florida Southern College located?
Florida Southern College is located in Lakeland, FL.
Admissions
Florida Southern operates with a moderately selective admissions process, accepting the Common Application and maintaining a policy. The college offers an Early Decision option with a November 1 deadline for fall entry, which comes with perks like priority scholarship consideration, early housing selection, and early class registration. While the overall is 64%, the early acceptance rate is notably higher at 77.3%. The admissions office reviews a holistic application, though the specific weight given to factors like demonstrated interest is not detailed in the provided sources. For the enrolled class, the middle 50% SAT range is 1150–1330, and the middle 50% ACT range is 24–29.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
$37,928
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences$28,598
Psychology, General$27,494
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
The academic profile is defined by breadth and a strong career orientation. Florida Southern offers more than 70 undergraduate degree programs through its traditional undergraduate division. The curriculum blends liberal arts foundations with hands-on, experiential learning, including internships, research, and study abroad. The most popular majors are decidedly pre-professional: Business Administration and Management (16% of 2024 graduates), Psychology (8%), Accounting (5%), Exercise Physiology, and Communication. The college has a particular reputation for its suite of pre-health tracks, including highly successful pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-optometry, pre-physician assistant, and pre-veterinary programs. With 149 full-time faculty, the college emphasizes accessible teaching and mentorship within a relatively intimate academic setting.
Life at Florida Southern is intensely residential and socially active. A full 81% of students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, creating a classic, contained campus community. The Office of Student Life and Office of Student Involvement orchestrate a packed calendar of events, leadership opportunities, and wellness initiatives aimed at supporting personal and professional development. Students can choose from more than 100 clubs and organizations, with a particularly strong Greek life presence shaping the social scene. The Multicultural Student Council works to foster an inclusive campus environment. The campus itself is a major draw, set on a picturesque lakeshore and famously integrated with the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, including the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, giving daily life a unique aesthetic backdrop.
Florida Southern markets strong post-graduation outcomes, centering on a 99% placement rate (employment or graduate school) within six months of graduation. The six-year graduation rate stands at 69%, which places the college in the top 30% nationally. The median earnings for graduates ten years after entry is $55,294, a figure that represents earnings 36% above the national college median. These outcomes are supported by a proactive career services apparatus that emphasizes internships and real-world experience as a core component of the academic program.
The sticker price for Florida Southern is substantial, with tuition and fees listed at $46,168 and total estimated around $58,570. However, the college distributes over $100 million in aid annually and claims that 99% of first-year students receive some form of financial assistance. The average financial aid package is reported to be $32,331. After grants and scholarships, the average —what families actually pay—comes in at $28,551. The college provides a Net Price Calculator for personalized estimates and offers federal loan options, but the provided sources do not indicate the existence of a no-loan policy or a guarantee to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need.
Florida Southern College carves out a singular identity through two powerful, intertwined assets: its unparalleled campus and its pragmatic educational mission. It is not merely a college with some Frank Lloyd Wright buildings; the campus is a living, breathing museum of his 'Usonian' design principles, with structures like the Water Dome and the Annie Pfeiffer Chapel forming the functional heart of student life. This creates an academic environment unlike any other—aesthetically cohesive, historically significant, and visually stunning. Academically, it leverages this distinctive setting to deliver a highly career-focused liberal arts education, particularly strong in business and the health professions, with outcomes that consistently place graduates in jobs or grad schools. It’s a place where the ambition of mid-century modernism meets the practical drive of 21st-century professional preparation, all under the Florida sun.
Gallery
Florida Southern College seal · sourceFlorida Southern College - Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation · sourceFLUMC - Campus Maps · sourceFlorida Southern College - Campus Tour · source
