Polk State College
Winter Haven, Florida · Also known as Polk State · Website
$40,624
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$40,624
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Polk State College is a public 4-year college in Winter Haven, Florida with 7,180 undergraduates. Its average net price after grants is $9,427 a year (tuition and fees $2,694 in-state, $9,817 out-of-state). 35% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $40,624 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $10,076 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$9,427
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$2,694
Out-of-state $9,817
Admission rate
Open
Completion rate
35%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$10,076
About $107 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$40,624
Rank 2,582 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $9,427
- Tuition in-state
- $2,694
- Tuition out-of-state
- $9,817
- Cost of attendance
- $13,451
- Students with a need-based grant
- 32%
- Students with federal loans
- 6.5%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,446
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $9,203
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $9,502
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $7,464
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $3,366 in 2015-16 to $2,694 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- Open admission
- Undergraduates
- 7,180
- Part-time students
- 65%
- Women
- 65%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 35%
- Highest degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Programs
- 40
- Endowment
- $35.4M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving, Open admission
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,582 of 5,094 US colleges and 96 of 293 in Florida (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | FL median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $9,427 | $19,850 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $2,694 | $16,920 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | - | 72% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 35% | 65% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | - | 75% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $10,076 | $13,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $35,602 | $33,574 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $40,624 | $37,894 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 36% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 60% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
40 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 984 | $6,599 | $27,184 | $43,940 | $44,125 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 199 | $16,561 | $45,921 | $52,404 | $68,257 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 100 | $9,750 | $69,158 | $79,660 | $80,813 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 92 | Withheld | $53,333 | $58,912 | $57,702 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 71 | $14,022 | $81,004 | $94,269 | $88,910 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's | Associate's | 54 | $10,750 | $58,088 | $69,815 | $65,389 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $12,998 | $40,808 | $55,634 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 34 | $15,000 | $48,210 | Withheld | $47,382 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 33 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $31,135 |
| Education, OtherCertificate | Certificate | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate | Certificate | 30 | Withheld | $60,894 | $75,539 | $57,584 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 30 | $8,924 | $38,868 | $54,431 | $48,733 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate | Certificate | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's | Associate's | 27 | Withheld | Withheld | $48,056 | $46,706 |
| Air TransportationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | Withheld | $50,499 | Withheld | $85,825 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Air TransportationAssociate's | Associate's | 21 | $8,750 | Withheld | $83,657 | $75,495 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 18 | $13,000 | $34,429 | $53,932 | $42,269 |
| Communications Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $33,445 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | $28,739 | $34,184 |
| Computer ProgrammingAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $58,070 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | $41,443 | $41,737 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $62,343 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,726 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansCertificate | Certificate | 8 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Winter Haven and Florida on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Florida
- Homes: Homes for sale in Florida
Questions and answers
How much does Polk State College cost?
$9,427 a year is the average net price at Polk State College after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $2,694 for in-state students and $9,817 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $13,451. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,446 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Polk State College?
Polk State College has open admission: it accepts students who meet its basic requirements, such as a high school diploma.
How much do Polk State College graduates earn?
$40,624 a year is the median pay of former Polk State College students who work, 10 years after they started ($35,602 after 6 years). That ranks 2,582 of 5,094 US colleges and 96 of 293 in Florida. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $81,004.
How much student debt do Polk State College graduates have?
$10,076 is the median federal student loan debt of Polk State College graduates, about $107 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 6.5% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Polk State College?
35% of first-time, full-time students at Polk State College finish within 6 years. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Polk State College?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (984 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (199 bachelor's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (100 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 40 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.