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AlmaSpire

Saint Petersburg, FL · Private · 1,888 undergraduates · urban

Eckerd College

Less selective

Autumn Term combines orientation, an academic course, and faculty mentoring over three weeks, giving first-year students a distinctive start.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Solid in student experience, and steady in academic standing.
Academic Steady Affordability Emerging Career Emerging Mobility Emerging Experience Solid
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Emerging
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Emerging
Student experience Solid
Admission
78.7% admitted

4,664 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
63.9%

$51,819 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Eckerd College apart

Academic design

Students begin with a three-week Autumn Term course and faculty mentor before moving into a broad liberal-arts curriculum with research, study abroad, and experiential opportunities.

Campus pattern

The St. Petersburg campus sits directly on Frenchman's Creek, with sailing, kayaking, paddle sports, and waterfront recreation integrated into everyday student life.

Defining feature

Autumn Term combines orientation, an academic course, and faculty mentoring over three weeks, giving first-year students a distinctive start.

Can I get in?

78.7% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

4,664

About 79 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 78.7%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1150–1336
10201460
ACT middle 50%24–29
2132

Of admitted students, 24% submitted an SAT, and 18% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Eckerd College, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Eckerd College weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

Students begin with a three-week Autumn Term course and faculty mentor before moving into a broad liberal-arts curriculum with research, study abroad, and experiential opportunities.

02

Make the fit specific

Autumn Term combines orientation, an academic course, and faculty mentoring over three weeks, giving first-year students a distinctive start.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Early ActionNov 15
Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiver$50 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$74,352
Average annual cost after aid$38,000
Affordability profileEmerging

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Eckerd College publishes two merit awards, the largest reaching $20,000 a year or more. one require a separate scholarship application. All of them renew past the first year.

Reviewed with admission An award reaching $20,000 a year or more

Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year

Separate scholarship application Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit and financial need · Competitive · Renews · Has a dated deadline

In the season card

These two awards, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, what it asks of you, and the date one of them closes - which is usually earlier than the application for admission.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • The deadline 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Eckerd College

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Autumn Term combines orientation, an academic course, and faculty mentoring over three weeks, giving first-year students a distinctive start.

Complete within 8 years63.9%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one76.6%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$51,819

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

Recent graduates84
Median earnings$48,631

Natural Resources Conservation and Research

Recent graduates77
Median earnings$39,932

Zoology/Animal Biology

Recent graduates62
Median earnings

Psychology, General

Recent graduates46
Median earnings$53,220

Biology, General

Recent graduates44
Median earnings$47,814

What is campus life like?

Eckerd College beyond the classroom

The St. Petersburg campus sits directly on Frenchman's Creek, with sailing, kayaking, paddle sports, and waterfront recreation integrated into everyday student life.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Students begin with a three-week Autumn Term course and faculty mentor before moving into a broad liberal-arts curriculum with research, study abroad, and experiential opportunities.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The St. Petersburg campus sits directly on Frenchman's Creek, with sailing, kayaking, paddle sports, and waterfront recreation integrated into everyday student life.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

Autumn Term combines orientation, an academic course, and faculty mentoring over three weeks, giving first-year students a distinctive start.

1,888 undergraduatesSoutheasturban setting98% of first-year students live on campus