Polk State College

999 Avenue H NE
Winter Haven, FL 33881-0000

Tel: (863)297-1000

Polk State College, established in 1964, has campuses and centers in every corner of Polk County, including Bartow, Lakeland, Lake Wales and Winter Haven. Each year, the college serves more than 20,000 students. Degree offerings include the Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, Associate in Arts and Associate in Science. Additionally, the college offers a wide range of certificate and workforce training options. The College also operates three charter high schools. The advantages of attending Polk State include small class sizes, flexible class schedules and online options, affordable tuition, excellent financial aid, vibrant student life opportunities, and intercollegiate athletics.

School Highlights

Polk State College serves 14,276 students (78% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 16:1 is lower than the state community college average of 38:1.
Minority enrollment is 42% of the student body (majority Black and Hispanic), which is less than the state average of 54%.
Polk State College is one of 2 community colleges within Polk County, FL.
The nearest community college is Everest University-Lakeland (14.30 miles away).

	Polk State College	(FL) Community College Avg.
Carnegie Classification	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges	Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges
Institution Level	Less than 2 yrs	Four or more years
Institution Control	Public	Private, non-profit
Total Faculty	900 staff	38 staff

The student population of 14,276 has grown by 26% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 16:1 has decreased from 42:1 over five years.
The school's diversity score of 0.61 is less than the state average of 0.70. The school's diversity has grown by 8% over five years.

Total Enrollment	14,276 students	1,230 students

Student : Teacher Ratio	16:1	38:1

# Full-Time Students	11,135 students	537 students

# Part-Time Students	3,141 students	693 students


% Asian	2%	2%

% Hispanic	15%	24%

% Black	17%	17%

% White	58%	46%

% Two or more races	8%	2%

% Non Resident races	-	2%

% Unknown races	-	7%


Diversity ScoreThe chance that two students selected at random would be members of a different ethnic group. Scored from 0 to 1, a diversity score closer to 1 indicates a more diverse student body.	0.61	0.70

College Completion Rate	31%	59%

Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)	$34,000	$30,800

The public in-state tuition of $112 is less than the state average of $6,233. The in-state tuition has declined by 95% over four years.
The public out-state tuition of $409 is less than the state average of $11,756. The out-state tuition has declined by 96% over four years.

In-State Tuition Fees	$112	$6,233

Out-State Tuition Fees	$409	$11,756

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid	76%	91%

Median Debt for Graduates	$9,000	$12,750

Median Debt for Dropouts	$5,500	$6,334

Acceptance Rate	100%	86%

Total Sports Offered	6 sports
Sports	Baseball, Basketball, Cheering, Soccer, Softball, VolleyballBaseball, Basketball, Cheering, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball,

Total ExtracurricularsTotal Extra-curric.	5 extracurriculars
ExtracurricularsExtra-curric.	Golden KEt (GK), Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), Student Government Association, Symphony Orchestra, Theater Theater, Golden KEt (GK), Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), Student Government Association, Symphony Orchestra,

Source: 2016 (or latest year available) IPEDS

Related College Videos

Related School News

Polk State Eases Transfer Process for Students of Shuttered ITT Tech - Polk State College News
posted on September 8, 2016 at 03:44:20 pm
Polk State College has an important message for former students of the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute: Continue your education here. “We know this is a troubling time for ITT students, who have worked hard to further their education but who, by no ...Georgia Northwestern Reaches Out To ITT Technical Institute's Di ...
Polk State Taking Entries for Student Art Exhibition; Deadline Sept. 28 - Polk State College News
posted on September 8, 2016 at 01:42:53 pm
Students may submit their work at the Polk State Lakeland Art Gallery or the Polk State Winter Haven Fine Arts Gallery, both open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students ...
Prosecutors drop death penalty in slayings of 2 Polk State College students - The Ledger
posted on September 2, 2016 at 02:45:18 am
A lack of direction from the Florida Supreme Court on jury instructions in death penalty cases played a role in the State Attorney's Office decision to not seek ...

Did You Know?

For Florida public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $6,233 per year for in-state students and $11,756 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $15,011 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in Florida is 87%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

Florida community colleges have a of 0.70, which is higher than the national average of 0.67. The most diverse community college in Florida is Johnson & Wales University-North Miami. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.