Public · Community college
Gulf Coast State College
Panama City, Florida · Small city
- 16%
- Transfer rate
- $4,709
- Avg net price
- 43%
- Grad / completion
- $38,359
- Median earnings
Gulf Coast State College is a public associate-granting institution in Panama City, Florida (small city setting), enrolling 3,934 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Panama City, Florida
Panama City is a city in and the county seat of Bay County, Florida, United States. When Panama City was incorporated, its original city limits were 15th Street (Hwy 98) on the north, Balboa Avenue on the west and Bay Avenue on the east. Two military bases make the federal government the largest employer. As of 2024, industrial employers in the Bay County area include Eastern Shipbuilding Group, L-3 Technologies, Oceaneering, Florida Power & Light, Trane, and Jensen-Group. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 88 miles to Tallahassee, FL
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 13 miles to Northwest Florida Beaches (ECP)
How Gulf Coast State College compares
Higher than 30% · #177 of 211 in Florida
Higher than 62% · #49 of 171 in Florida
Cheaper than 92% · #20 cheapest of 207 in Florida
Lower than 82%
Lower than 21%
Larger than 89%
Percentiles compare Gulf Coast State College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Florida.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women2,50464%
- Men1,43036%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White64%
- Black13%
- Hispanic10%
- Asian2.8%
- Other or multiracial9.4%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 3,934
- Student–faculty ratio
- 22 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 28%
- First-generation students
- 49%
- Students over 25
- 31%
- Median family income
- $22,880
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $54,036
- Endowment
- $36,823,143
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 842 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Florida94%
- Other U.S. states5.7%
Most first-years stay in state — Gulf Coast State College draws overwhelmingly from Florida.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $2,370
- Out-of-state tuition
- $8,635
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,200
- Total cost of attendance
- $14,657
- Average net price
- $4,709
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated
- 43%
- First-year retention
- —
- Transferred to another college
- 16%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $33,651
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $38,359
- Median debt at graduation
- $7,147
- Students with federal loans
- 7%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 35%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $20
- Athletics
- NJCAA Division I
- Varsity athletes
- 97 (38 men · 59 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (5)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (5,426 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 76% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,074. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 696 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $38,359
- Typical debt at graduation
- $7,147
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 19%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 43%
Typical debt would take roughly 1.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $9,278 (27%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 90°F
- Winter low
- 45°F
- Annual rain
- 61.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Panama City Bay CO AP, FL US station (3.3 mi from campus).
What Gulf Coast State College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Gulf Coast State College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Gulf Coast State College side by side →
Northwest Florida State College
Niceville, Florida · Midsize suburb · 45 mi to Pensacola
- Students
- 3,010
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $40k
Lake-Sumter State College
Leesburg, Florida · Midsize suburb · 32 mi to Orlando
- Students
- 4,177
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 22%
- Earnings
- $40k
Florida Gateway College
Lake City, Florida · Distant town · 39 mi to Gainesville
- Students
- 2,301
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 14%
- Earnings
- $38k
Pasco-Hernando State College
New Port Richey, Florida · Large suburb · 25 mi to Tampa
- Students
- 6,900
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 21%
- Earnings
- $40k
Saint Johns River State College
Palatka, Florida · Distant town · 39 mi to Gainesville
- Students
- 4,403
- Tuition
- $3k
- Transfer
- 20%
- Earnings
- $42k
Pensacola State College
Pensacola, Florida · Small city · 4 mi to Pensacola
- Students
- 7,538
- Tuition
- $2k
- Transfer
- 17%
- Earnings
- $37k
Colleges near Gulf Coast State College
Tom P. Haney Technical College
Panama City, FL · Public · Certificate · 453 students
Florida Panhandle Technical College
Chipley, FL · Public · Certificate · 157 students
Emerald Coast Technical College
DeFuniak Springs, FL · Public · Certificate · 189 students
Northwest Florida State College
Niceville, FL · Public · Associate · 3,010 students
Chipola College
Marianna, FL · Public · Certificate · 1,312 students
Baptist University of Florida
Graceville, FL · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 360 students
Okaloosa Technical College
Fort Walton Beach, FL · Public · Certificate · 421 students
Gadsden Technical College
Quincy, FL · Public · Certificate · 59 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.