Tuition (in-state)$51,884
Student : faculty11:1
Acceptance76%
Enrollment1,893
Walk score38
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Education
| Programs | Marine science, environmental studies, psychology, business, creative writing, biology, international relations |
|---|---|
| Graduation | 66% six-year graduation rate |
| Teaching style | Small seminar classes taught entirely by faculty; every first-year student takes Autumn Term, a three-week orientation course before the fall semester, and is paired with a faculty mentor for all four years. |
Tuition and cost
| In-state tuition | $51,884 |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state tuition | $51,884 |
| Room and board | $14,734 |
Sticker price before aid. Most students here pay less; see Scholarships and our guide to reading a financial aid letter.
Faculty
| Student : faculty ratio | 11:1 |
|---|---|
| Tenure | Roughly 75% tenured or tenure-track |
| Who teaches first-years | Faculty teach every course, including Autumn Term and the first-year Human Experience sequence; there are no graduate teaching assistants. |
- Student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 with an average class size of 17
- Faculty-student research is the norm in marine science, with students collecting data from the college's own waterfront
- Ford Scholars program pairs top students with faculty on funded research
Location and walk score
38/ 100
| Setting | 188-acre waterfront campus on Boca Ciega Bay at the southern tip of St. Petersburg, about 15 minutes from downtown |
|---|---|
| Climate | Hot, humid summers; warm, dry winters; hurricane season June to November |
| Getting around | Campus shuttle and PSTA buses to downtown St. Petersburg; a car or bike is useful; Tampa International (TPA) about 40 minutes, St. Pete-Clearwater (PIE) about 30 minutes |
Things to do nearby
- Kayaking and sailing from the campus waterfront (free rentals for students)
- Fort De Soto Park beaches, 15 minutes away
- Downtown St. Petersburg: the Dali Museum, Central Avenue restaurants and the Saturday Morning Market
- Sunken Gardens and the St. Pete Pier
- Tampa Bay Rays games at Tropicana Field
Graduate degrees
- Undergraduate only; no graduate degrees offered
- 3+2 engineering partnerships and early-admission agreements with graduate programs in law, medicine and environmental science
Jobs and outcomes
Median starting salary$48,000
Employed or in grad school within 6 months86%
Career servicesCenter for Career Planning and Applied Learning, with a required career-readiness milestone before junior year
Top employers of recent graduates
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
- NOAA and regional marine research labs
- Tampa Bay area school districts
- BayCare Health System
- Raymond James (St. Petersburg headquarters)
Salary and placement figures are the institution's most recent first-destination survey, typically six months after graduation. Compare on the compare page.
Internships and co-ops
80%of students complete an internship or co-op
- Waterfront research internships with the Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory
- Eckerd College Search and Rescue (EC-SAR), a student-run maritime rescue team
- Ford Scholars funded summer research
- Academy of Senior Professionals (ASPEC) mentoring by retired executives and scientists
- Semester and January-term internships in downtown St. Petersburg
Alumni
| Living alumni | 25,000 |
|---|---|
| Where graduates go | Graduate school in marine and environmental science, environmental agencies and nonprofits, education, healthcare, business in the Tampa Bay region |
Notable graduates
- Dennis Lehane, novelist (Mystic River, Shutter Island)
- Kevin Weekes, NHL goaltender turned broadcaster
- Sterling Watson, novelist and longtime creative writing faculty
Teams
| Division | NCAA Division II |
|---|---|
| Conference | Sunshine State Conference |
| Marquee sports | Sailing (nationally ranked), baseball, basketball, soccer, volleyball |
| Club and intramural | Sailing, rugby, ultimate, surfing and 20+ intramural leagues |
Scholarships
Presidential and Trustee scholarships$18,000 to $30,000 per year, awarded on admission · Deadline: Automatic on admission · Details
Florida Bright FuturesFull or partial tuition for Florida residents who qualify · Deadline: Aug 31
EASE Grant (Florida residents)State grant for Floridians attending private colleges · Deadline: File FAFSA by the priority date
Need-based grant aidVaries with FAFSA results · Deadline: File FAFSA by the priority date
IPEDS data
Figures reported by Eckerd College to the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (2024-25). Source: College Navigator, Unit ID 133492.
Institution
| Type | 4-year, Private not-for-profit |
|---|
Admissions (Fall 2024)
| Applicants | 5,071 |
|---|---|
| Admitted | 76% |
| Admitted who enrolled | 12% |
Retention and graduation (Fall 2018 entrants)
| First-to-second-year retention | 76% |
|---|---|
| Graduated in 4 years | 59% |
| Graduated in 6 years | 66% |
Additional information
| Founded as | Florida Presbyterian College; renamed in 1972 for Jack Eckerd of the Eckerd drugstore chain |
|---|---|
| Autumn Term | Three-week course for all first-year students before the fall semester begins |
| Pets on campus | Dog- and cat-friendly residence halls, one of the first in the country |
| Waterfront | Boca Ciega Bay frontage with free kayaks, sailboats and paddleboards for students |
| Search and rescue | Students run EC-SAR, an all-volunteer maritime rescue team responding to hundreds of calls a year |
| Virtual tour | www.eckerd.edu/visit/virtual-tour/ |
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