About Eckerd College

Founded in 1958, Eckerd College. is a Private college. Located in Florida, which is a city setting in Florida, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 2,046 full time undergraduate students, and 0 full time graduate students.

The Eckerd College Academic calendar runs on a Four-one-four plan basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 12:1. There are 145 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at Eckerd College include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate72%
Application Deadline
Application Fee40
SAT Range1000-1210
ACT Range22-28

Admissions at are considered Selective, with ,37% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 13 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

0% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 0% were in the top quarter, and 0% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE Reviews

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at Eckerd College.

4%
“We”re apathetic”
16%
“We know about current events and vote”
64%
“We participate and encourage others to get involved”
16%
“There”s nothing we won”t protest”
0%
“We save it for the classroom”
12%
“Sometimes, but not often”
52%
“There”s usually intelligent conversation to be found”
36%
“All the time, including weekends”
0%
“I”m always terrified”
8%
“I only go out in groups”
0%
“I usually let someone know where I”m going”
92%
“I feel extremely safe”
46%
“We don”t play sports”
0%
“We play recreationally”
42%
“We bought the gear”
13%
“We live for the big game”
0%
“It”s not really our thing”
12%
“Occasinally we gallery crawl”
60%
“There are a variety of opportunities”
28%
“We”re a very artistic group”
4%
“Haven”t met them”
4%
“Available in class”
32%
“They keep regular office hours”
60%
“They”re always available”
83%
“No greek life, but other groups to join”
17%
“There is some involvement, but not a lot”
0%
“Plenty of people join a sorority or fraternity”
0%
“It”s everything. If you”re not greek, you”re a geek”
4%
“We”re not into drinking at all”
24%
“Maybe a little, but it”s not a big thing”
36%
“We only party on weekends”
36%
“There”s some drinking happening every night”
4%
“Never, we”re here to learn”
44%
“There might be people who do”
24%
“People are known to partake on weekends”
28%
“There”s a huge drug scene”
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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    73 Students rated on-campus housing 3.9 stars. 19 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    46 Students rated off-campus housing 3.5 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    74 Students rated campus food 3 stars. 9 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    77 Students rated campus facilities 4.1 stars. 34 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    77 Students rated class size 4.7 stars. 74 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    77 Students rated school activities 4.2 stars. 48 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    77 Students rated local services 4.2 stars. 48 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    77 Students rated academics 3.9 stars. 36 % gave the school a 5.0.

Eckerd College REVIEWS

What's your overall opinion of Eckerd College?

27 Students rated Eckerd College

Grace - 01/21/2024

I love it here! I have made amazing friends, the staff are wonderful and overall the community is great! I chose to attend Eckerd because of the close-knit community here. They offer smaller class sizes and closer relationships with staff. Additionally, being from Florida, I have loved the ocean all of my life and staying close to the water was a must for me.

Tamiya - 01/16/2023

Eckerd College has a beautiful scenery and most people that go here usually end up majoring in Marine Science. The school itself claims to be different and open minded, but some of the students here show otherwise. There tends to be a party every weekend and the school reminds me of high school a bit, as some people aren't clean in housing. The food is repetitive and could be better. The academics overall are challenging in a good way, and the professors I had so far are nice and willing to help.

Madison - 02/19/2021

Absolutely amazing recommend to everybody! So friendly and so clean. They focus on keeping everyone protected from COVID-19. They allow many research opportunities to everyone. Everyone is a family when we are together and when we are not. We provide support like no other and remind me every day that Eckerd College is a home away from home.

Steve - 02/16/2020

I really really hated Eckerd, personally. If you are artsy, liberal, like to dye your hair and did theater or liked to skate and smoke weed then Eckerd college is the school for you. If you don't mind the smell of weed percolating into your room every day and your idea of partying is playing beer pong in a 12x12 dorm packed with 24 kids with blue hair and pierced nipples then Eckerd is the place for you. I do not say this sarcastically, a certain type of person truly feels right at home at Eckerd and will have a great time at this school. There is not really any nightlife outside of that and every Thursday everybody goes to Flamingoes, a gay hotel with a bar upfront. It's kind of intimidating at first but really isn't so bad and the people are generally nice. If this isn't your scene you'll have to stick to the dorms. There's a gay barbershop In the back called Tyler'z that cut my hair and did a good job. While you're getting your haircut you have a great view of the residents in thongs going at it in the pool. That was the first time I had seen a man kiss another man and the staff found that hilarious, good people. No matter how far away you live, bring your godforsaken car. I had mine and the isolation still drove me to depression. The waterfront and "beach" (retaining wall next to the water full of sand) are fun for about a month then you will be so goddamn bored of that tiny campus. There's nothing to do in St. Pete except sit on the beach and you will have to drive to find cool things to do. Florida has some beautiful places to offer if you can find the time and people willing to drive a couple hours and explore. Do your best to get involved in clubs like scuba, Eckerd search and rescue, etc. Otherwise, you will be bored out of your mind and have nothing to do but get inebriated. If you are preppy, were an athlete in high school, or are easily inclined to judge others, you will have a much harder time socially. It's hard to make friends if right off the bat if you look down on everybody because they're geeky or smoke too much weed and are a little bit crazy. That's not to say you won't make friends, but the athletes very much keep to themselves and you may end up in the company of people who are nothing like you, doesn't mean they aren't good people. I would say the kids who care about grades are all nice people but were likely social outcasts in high school. That can be said for almost everyone, if you considered yourself "popular" in high school, the tables will turn and you won't fit in. It's shallow to talk about popularity and that immature stuff but the reality is that the school is so small the social aspects of high school tend to percolate in. There's the athletes, a group of kids who are from St. Pete and are already best friends and consider themselves the popular crowd, and everyone else. It's not quite as clicky but is not the same as the melting pot of a large school. If you're conservative keep quiet about it. If you drive a truck you will be the token redneck regardless of your political views. I had a kid who I was actually decent friends with say to me "I don't know your opinion on that kid given your stance on gays, but I think he's a nice guy." I then had to explain to him that I had no issues with gay people and that just because I was from the south and drove a truck doesn't mean I'm a bigot. I would have paid money to read the admissions essay for the kids who don't care about school, some are practically braindead and come from wealthy families that they rebel against by being edgy skaters who love acid OR free-spirited hippies who also love acid. If you are a freshman do everything in your power to make sure you do not live in sigma. It is completely isolated from the rest of campus, disgusting, has a view of the highway, and is right next to a sewage treatment plant that reeks of chemicals and wastewater every day. It is its own little community which is fun if you are the type of kid who loves what is mentioned above. It is also three people in one small room which creates it's own set of problems. I spent most of my time locked in the bathroom as it was the only 10 minutes of privacy you can get. As a freshman, you will be required to take their freshman course "The Human experience" and be forced to learn about a variety of topics ranging from art history to philosophy to sociology, regardless of your major. This class will be a lot of work and if you don't give a rats about those things this class will be a pain in the ass. This is part of Eckerd's liberal arts initiative to make you a well rounded free-thinking student with the ability to think critically. Just don't free think about anything conservative, you will be mobbed by people who have never read an academic journal in their life and whos sole identity revolves around social justice. If you major in marine biology you will have a hard time and most of the kids drop it after one semester. I knew one person who stayed in. The professors are a mixed bag, some are really good and care a lot about the students. Professor Jill Collins is an extremely intelligent woman who does everything she can to help her students succeed. English Professor names Dr. Auger is the same, no-nonsense, great educator. Pursue these professors. Others are Eckerd alumni in their mid-thirties who couldn't get a job with their liberal arts major and found themselves teaching. They have a serious complex of self-importance and consider their 2-year research projects on the sustainability of Nigerian soil retention to be the greatest gift to the world, along with their prerequisite courses. Eckerd has a bad habit of creating meaningless jobs for alumni who run campus sustainability programs that as a student you will inevitably be forced to volunteer for. This means going around picking up trash, recycling and composting Everyones partially eaten food, but you're keeping up the college's image of an eco-friendly institution, and that's all that really matters. Forget studying that's all I want to do with my time. St. Petersburg has about a mile of nice neighborhoods on the beach and then the rest is truly disgusting. Poverty and homelessness are everywhere, and if you come from a place where people are polite to strangers and wave to you when you let them over on the highway you're in for a treat. The "Florida man" headlines are all true. This has been a glowingly negative review of the school and is not consistent with everyone's experience, I transferred after a semester as I just couldn't see myself ever accepting this as my normal life. I hated a lot of people and being around people who annoy you everyday just takes it's toll and I couldn't do it anymore. I tried so hard to be accepting and open-minded of people who were different than me but at the end of the day, you can only do so much without abandoning all your values. I had a close group of friends and they were great, but the majority was exhausting. Again, if you are the type of person who would fit in at Eckerd, and I hope I was clear enough on the type of person that is, (free spirit, non-judgemental, socially conscious, really care about the environment, consider yourself a hippie and or conform to societal norms) you will have an awesome time. To its credit, if you feel like you are different and have had trouble being accepted, Eckerd is a place where you can absolutely be yourself and make a lot of friends who like you for who you are. If your idea of normal is what was "cool" in high school you will have a harder time. I might take myself too seriously, so my experience was negative, doesn't mean yours will be.

Eckerd College FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at Eckerd College?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for Eckerd College is 72%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    TO NOT HAVE SKIP CLASSES IN HIGH SCHOOL

    Read all 69 answers
  3. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    The way the kids who attend it act. There is alot of drug use and most of the kids don't consider a night complete unless they're drunk or high.

    Read all 21 answers
  4. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    Eckerd is a very peaceful campus surrounded by loving and caring people.

    Read all 17 answers
  5. What kind of person should attend this school?

    Eckerd College is a school for students who want a well-rounded education and active school lives. Many of the students that attend Eckerd are creatively influenced as well as extremely smart. Many of these students are gifted artists, actors, and future leaders. When you are an Eckerd student you are fun but, driven to get the kind of education that you choose.

    Read all 14 answers
  6. What's unique about your campus?

    The people (students and teachers) and the social life

    Read all 13 answers
  7. Describe the students at your school.

    Most of my classmates are referred to as "hippies".

    Read all 12 answers
  8. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    My college is very outdoors oriented. Located on the water we have an incredible waterfront program where you can rent paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, learn how to sail, wake board, ect. We have a lot of sports too. Club sports are fun. A lot of classes, especially Marine Biology classes, go out onto the bay to collect samples and do labs. It's a very friendly environment too. I've always felt welcome and made so many friends that I know will be around for a long time.

    Read all 12 answers
  9. Describe your favorite campus traditions.

    community service and drinking

    Read all 11 answers
  10. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    Eckerd isn't always as good academically as it should be. We have good teachers, but the problem is that most of our student body are B/C students who can't handle a rigorous academics program. If they are asked to do something new or too difficult, they tend to freak out rather than taking on the challenge with excitement. Eckerd teaches the core content but doesn't really change perspectives or challenge the top 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}.

    Read all 11 answers
  11. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    That the cafeteria food isn't always great, the pub food is always greasy, that eckerd search and rescue is like a cult, chemistry and calculus proffesors aren't that great, and that Eckerd runs more like a business and tries to get as much money from you as they can.

    Read all 10 answers
  12. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    The only kind of person who might feel uncomfortable would be someone who is REALLY conservative and/or close-minded.

    Read all 9 answers
  13. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    The location. Since I'm from Jersey but go to school in Florida, I like to tease my friends at home when it's cold that I'm enjoying the beach or the pool.

    Read all 9 answers
  14. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Frankly, I would not change one thing about Eckerd. My experience at Eckerd is the best thing that has happened to me, and I know almost every one of my friends feel the same way. The lifestyle at Eckerd is extremely laid back, full of sunshine and just hanging out with friends. The dorm life is great, each dorm basically becomes a family. If I could change one thing it would be to get ride of our new "head of security" because in the last 3 years he has really taken things down hill. I mean this in the way that he thinks that enforcing certain rules make the student body feel safer, when all in all it just makes life a pain in the ass. School pride varies, if you're big into sports you will find the kids that have a lot of school pride, but if you live say in Kappa, you don't believe that sports actually exist at Eckerd. I really wish that I could sum up Eckerd in a simple way, but frankly I cannot think of one way to describe it. The lifestyle is like nothing you will ever experience, you are living in the "Eckerd Bubble" as people like to call it. Since Eckerd is a closed campus, meaning that there is only one entrance onto campus and you must drive through security in order to get on, you can feel very safe. There are some robberies on campus, but I for one have not locked the door to my room for several years and have never had a problem. If you're laid back, love the sun, and don't mind hanging out with a bunch of kids, having a bit to drink, and smelling a lot of select herbs, then Eckerd is perfect for you.

    Read all 3 answers
  15. What are the academics like at your school?

    First off, Autumn Term. Autumn term at Eckerd is when all the Freshman attend school starting at the beginning of August, they are on campus without upperclassmen for about 3 weeks, they take one class and get used to the college life while meeting basically everyone in your class and making a bunch of friends. You may think that this sucks because you loose part of your summer, but it is actually a great time and you meet a bunch of kids who will be your friends for the rest of your time at Eckerd. You WILL know your professors all by name, and they will all know you by name. Class sizes are fairly small, depending on the level. Autumn Term classes are usually about 20 students, while entry level classes, depending on your department can range from 20-60 kids. Most classes will be around 20ish, but some you will have 6 kids in and if you're unlucky you will get a class with more than 40. Class participation is required in some classes, but not all, as is attendance. Most professors say that attendance is required and if you miss more than 2 classes you lose either half a letter grade or a full letter depending on the professor. Others will say that as long as you learn the material, just make sure you show up for the tests. Professors that do this though usually add in that if you do not attend class regularly and are on the boarder of say an A or a B you will get the B, whereas if you attended class regularly they would give you the A. There are intellectual conversations around campus, although sometimes it will be between a group of kids who are high. You may think that these two things contradict each other, but these are the ones that if you sit around and listen to them for a little while you'll start to realize how smart some kids are at Eckerd. Competitiveness on the other hand I do not see too much of at Eckerd, but that may be because I myself am not a competitive student. Eckerd is also a Liberal Arts college. This means that you're going to be taking classes in each academic area. Natural Science, Social Science, Art, Humanities, Environmental, Global, and a Language (you can be exempt from language.) You are also required to take 4 short terms (1 autumn term, 3 winter terms), attend 16 College Program Series events, and pass a writing portfolio your Junior year. Eckerd's education has a great balance between getting a job and learning for your own sake. You really get to know who you are as a person at Eckerd which is the first step, there are plenty of people in Career Resources to help you with Resumes, Curriculum Vitaes, Internships, and Job Opportunities.

    Read all 3 answers
  16. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Eckerd has an unbelievable number of clubs, from Ale tasting to kiteboarding, all of which are available for you to join. There is a Club Fair each semester where the heads of all the clubs set up booths/tables out front of the Pub where you can sign up for their email list, and get information on each of the clubs. Overall from my experience the social life at Eckerd is a huge part of Eckerd itself. Kids usually don't just sit in their rooms with their roommates and watch TV. On a regular day you will see people hanging outside of the dorms at the picnic tables at any hour of the day or around the fire pits at night. There is usually kids playing frisbee on Kappa Field, or throwing a football or doing something active, others will simply be laying out on their towels either on the field or on the beach, enjoying the day or even doing some of their homework. You will definitely meet some of your closest friends during Autumn Term, but don't let the upperclassman scare you when they come back, we're all pretty nice and I guarantee you will make friends with kids of all ages, from Freshman to Seniors. If you're into partying, you can find a group of kids somewhere on campus each night that are having some sort of party, if not, just hang outside the dorms like everyone else and throw a couple back. The party scene is always the biggest at Kappa, they host several of the biggest parties each year, where half of the school will show up. Some of the biggest ones include the Toga Party, and Kappa Ball. If you're not into the partying, there is also school sponsored events (which do sometimes have alcohol.) There is Open Mic nights at the pub, there are movies shown on campus, there are First Friday Fire Nights at the waterfront. The school also gives away free tickets to a select number of movies off campus, sporting events, and even concerts! There is also the waterfront. At the water front you can sign up for Wakeboarding trips, Water Skiing trips, Fishing trips, rent a kayak for the day, rent a windsurfer, and there is even a sailing team. All of the trips and the rentals are FREE! The waterfront is also the place you can go to to rent out Tents, Coolers, sporting equipment, Pack your cooler with ice, and plenty of other things. The waterfront is definitely a cool place, especially since everything is free.

    Read all 2 answers
  17. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    Pot smoking hippies who aren't very intelligent. Sorority type girls and Frat type Bros who came from the North East and come from wealthy families.

    Read all 2 answers
  18. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    The stereotypes that I presented are accurate. Kappa is hippie, Iota kids don't leave their dorm, and the baseball players are in fact assholes.

    Read all 2 answers
  19. What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?

    Stereotypes do not really exist at Eckerd. Although it is a small school, it is incredibly diverse. Of course, like any college there are stoners, jocks, science nerds, and more but the environment here overall is pretty accepting of everyone and their individualities.

    Read all 1 answers

Student Body

Students

64%

female

36%

male

2,046

Total Undergrad Enrollment

N/A

Total Grad Students

80%

Out-Of-State

17%

In-State

3%

International

Organizations

90

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

68%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
2%
% Black or African-American
5%
% Hispanic/Latino
8%
% White or Caucasian
77%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

100% of students attending Eckerd College receive some sort of financial aid. 19% were awarded federal grants. While 55% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$41,538

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,200

Books and Supplies

$11,336

Room and Board

54,074

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$23,155
$30 - $48K
$26,377
$48 - $75K
$28,086
$75 - $110K
$31,830
$110K & UP
$35,951

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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