Eckerd College

Eckerd College students walk to class on a sunny day

“Eckerd admitted its first freshman in 1960. By 1985, it had joined the ranks of the elite — the top 50 in the production of graduates who go on to get doctorates in the sciences and in the humanities. Any college that rates in the top 50 is Dean’s List material; a young unselective one with such status is dramatic testimony to its community of learning. Eckerd exerts a leverage on youths whose development is its reason for being. And that sets it apart from all but a very few colleges.
Colleges That Change Lives

Learn more by scheduling an in-person or virtual visit at eckerd.edu/visit. Or view the video tour to start exploring Eckerd’s Gulf Coast campus now!

Eckerd College
4200 54th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33711
727.864.8331 / 1.800.456.9009
admissions@eckerd.edu
www.eckerd.edu
⋅ 2,017 students from 48 U.S. states and territories and 39 countries
⋅ 17% of our students are from Florida.
⋅ Comprehensive Fees: $61,186
⋅ Tuition: $47,044
⋅ Room: $7,052 / Board: $6,430
⋅ Student Activity Fee: $386
⋅ Technology Fee: $274
⋅ Average Aid Award: $39,890
⋅ Academic Scholarship Range: $10,000-$25,000

Professor Knippen teaches outdoor class at Roberts Patio around Fox Pond

Aerial view of campus spring 2018

Sakerian Morris '20 and students hanging out on South Beach

Madeline Vargo '20 and Jonathan Sakai '21 stroll through Hough Quad with Nazarré Merchant, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Students walking and hanging out in front of James Center.

Character
  • Founded in 1958, as a private, coeducational, residential liberal arts college
  • Eckerd College invites students to ThinkOutside. They are pushed to think beyond the conventional, and to always seek a unique, inspiring, and motivating education both inside and outside the classroom.
  • Located in sunny St. Petersburg, Florida (pop. 270,000), 25 miles southwest of Tampa
  • Eckerd sits on 188 acres of bayfront property, complete with 1.5 miles of coastline, a private beach, and the most comprehensive collegiate waterfront program in the Southeast.

Worth Noting
  • 80% of students at Eckerd are from out-of-state, attracting adventurous, outdoorsy, and open-minded students.
  • Eckerd’s programs in Business, International Business, Environmental Studies, and International Studies have been continuously recognized in the Fiske Guide to Colleges.
  • Since 2010, Eckerd has invested $100 million in a new biology & chemistry building, a visual arts building, residence hall renovations, a sailing center, and an outdoor sports pavilion.
  • Ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for short-term study abroad
  • 180 Eckerd graduates have served in the Peace Corps, one of the highest ranked in the Southeast U.S.
  • Eckerd College is the 5th school in Florida to join the nationally recognized Peace Corps Prep Program.
  • Eckerd is one of the 10% of American Colleges and Universities with a Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society Chapter.

Faculty & Academics
  • 97% of 130 full-time, tenure-track faculty hold a Ph.D. or the highest degree in their field
  • No graduate teaching assistants
  • 42 majors, 52 minors, and the option to design your own major
  • Three-week first-year student orientation term, “Autumn Term,” where new students take an introductory class and acclimate to college life through dynamic community-building activities
  • 4-1-4 Academic Calendar: (4) Fall Semester, (1) Winter Term, (4) Spring Semester
  • Nearly 70% of students study abroad before graduating

Areas of Study
For the most current listings, please check the college website.

Majors
American Studies
Ancient Studies
Animal Studies
Anthropology
Art (Visual Art)
Biochemistry
Biology
Business Administration
Chemistry
Communication
Comparative Literature
Computer Science
Creative Writing
East Asian Studies
Economics
Engineering (3-2 program)
English (Literature)
Environmental Studies
Film Studies
French
Gender Studies (Women’s and Gender Studies)
Geosciences
History
Human Development
Humanities
Interdisciplinary Arts
International Business
International Relations and Global Affairs
International Studies
Law (3+3)
Literature
Management
Marine Science
Marketing
Mathematics
Music
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science
Pre-Dental Pre Dental
Pre-Law Pre Law
Pre-Med Pre Med
Pre-Vet Pre Vet
Psychology
Religious Studies
Self-designed majors
Sociology
Spanish
Theatre
2+2 Theatre/Musical Theatre
Visual Arts
Women’s and Gender Studies

Campus Life
  • 86% of students live on campus in 12 residence halls, many with views of Boca Ciega Bay.
  • Eckerd’s Waterfront Program is one of the largest collegiate programs of its kind in the Southeastern U.S. Students use their Eckerd ID to check out paddle boards, kayaks, sailboats, fishing gear, wakeboards, and much more.
  • NCAA Division II (Florida Sunshine State Conference) athletics, various club sports, and over 100 student organizations keep students busy year-round.
  • A fleet of yellow community bikes help the Eckerd community get around campus, and keep Eckerd green.
  • Over 300 pets live on Eckerd’s pet-friendly campus.

Varsity Sports

NCAA Division II in the Florida Sunshine State Conference:

Baseball (Men)
Basketball
Beach Volleyball (Women)
Golf
Sailing (Coed, Women)
Soccer
Softball (Women)
Tennis
Volleyball (Women)

Life After College
  • 102 Eckerd College students have been awarded Hollings Scholarships – more than at any other college in the U.S. The scholarship, awarded by NOAA, recognizes the top 100 sophomores in the country who are preparing for careers in environmental, marine, oceanic and atmospheric sciences.
  • Eckerd alumni include Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, Gilman, National Science Foundation Research Fellowship, EPA Star Graduate Research Fellowship and Fulbright recipients. In the last three years alone, five Eckerd graduates have won Fulbright Scholarships.
  • 180 Eckerd graduates have served in the Peace Corps, making Eckerd a top producer among small colleges in the Southeastern U.S.
  • Within a year of graduation, 72% of our grads are working full time; 45% are in graduate schools like Georgetown, UC Davis, and Cornell within five years of graduation. (Some are doing both.)

Academic Profile of Entering Class
  • Average GPA: 3.5
  • Middle 50% SAT range: 1098-1300
  • Middle 50% ACT range: 23-28
  • 24% of the class are from underrepresented populations