Private nonprofit · University

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, Florida · Midsize city

82.0%
Admit rate
$28,354
Avg net price
55%
Graduation rate
$49,232
Median earnings

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in West Palm Beach, Florida (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,603 undergraduates. It has a Interdenominational religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,603 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 82% admitNCAA Division II without footballMild wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Palm Beach Atlantic University's admitted students.

Admit rate
82.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
950–1220
Avg GPA (est.)
3.10

Enter a test score to see where you land against Palm Beach Atlantic University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Palm Beach Atlantic University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About West Palm Beach, Florida

West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The beginning of the historic period in south Florida is marked by Juan Ponce de León's first contact with native people in 1513. The permanent collection features 19th and 20th century European and American art, Chinese, contemporary art and photography. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
3 miles to President Donald J. Trump (PBI) · major hub

How Palm Beach Atlantic University compares

Selectivity82.0%

More selective than 41% · #40 most selective of 49 in Florida

SAT average1075

Higher than 21%

Graduation rate55%

Higher than 51% · #31 of 62 in Florida

First-year retention68%

Higher than 26%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,232

Higher than 36% · #27 of 60 in Florida

Average net price$28,354

Cheaper than 20% · #41 cheapest of 62 in Florida

Median debt at graduation$22,500

Lower than 56%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment2,603

Larger than 65%

Percentiles compare Palm Beach Atlantic University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Florida.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,438students
  • Undergraduate2,60376%
  • Graduate83524%

Undergraduates by gender

2,603undergrads
  • Women1,76668%
  • Men83732%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White58%
  • Black8.6%
  • Hispanic18%
  • Asian1.9%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,603
Graduate enrollment
835
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
23%
First-generation students
22%
Students over 25
6%
Median family income
$52,818
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$83,385
Endowment
$109,770,462

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 680 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Florida46%
  • Other U.S. states50%
  • International3.5%

A regional draw: about 46% of first-years come from Florida, the rest from elsewhere.

4% came from outside the U.S. 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
82.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
950–1220
SAT average
1075
SAT reading
500–620
SAT math
450–600
ACT composite
18–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.10

Cost

In-state tuition
$40,650
Room & board
$13,800
Books & supplies
$1,186
Total cost of attendance
$53,827
Average net price
$28,354

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 (within 6 years)
55%
Graduated on time (4 years)
47%
First-year retention
68%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,366
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,232
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Students with federal loans
37%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
52%

About 9% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
47%
Low-income (Pell)
45%
First-generation
39%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,456
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
56%
Housing charge (year)
$6,040
Meal plan (year)
$6,570
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
399 (196 men · 203 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 (11)

Lacrosse68
Soccer68
Baseball42
Track and Field (Outdoor)37
Cross Country35
Basketball32
Golf31
Tennis27
Softball21
Volleyball21
Beach Volleyball17

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
12

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (4,147 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.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

5.3reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year4.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Burglary
1.7
Fondling
0.7
Rape
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

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.

< $30k
$25,570
$30–48k
$25,312
$48–75k
$25,619
$75–110k
$26,244
$110k+
$32,786

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.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$108,615

$25,619/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

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.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$20,575
average award, among those who get one

Palm Beach Atlantic University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,575. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 697 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)
$49,232
Typical debt at graduation
$22,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
62%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

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.

Women
$47,467
Men
$56,967

Men out-earn women by $9,500 (20%) 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
58°F
Annual rain
61.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
50°80°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.38.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, West Palm Beach Intl AP, FL US station (3.2 mi from campus).

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 Palm Beach Atlantic University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Palm Beach Atlantic University side by side →

Colleges near Palm Beach Atlantic University

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.