Palm Beach Atlantic University Top Questions

Parking is a problem. I would change that but wouldn't know how. PBA is small but I don't think many complain about that. It's nice to see familiar faces anywhere from the gym to the beach.

PBA is a rather small Christian University. However, the size of it makes the community very close. It is easy to get to know people because you see them everyday, and your professors make a great deal of effort to get to know you. The professors have been one of my favorite aspects of the school. I went to a large public high school in Ohio and I often heard that in college my professors would not care about me. This is not the case at PBA at all! Many of my professors have taken the time to get to know me personally and I know that I have thrived in my education because of this fact. I honestly cannot say enough good things about the many professors I have come to know and love. There are a lot of rules students should know before they come to PBA, because if they do not, they often end up transferring to a different school. There are many, many transfer students (both to and from PBA). Read the Navigator before you decide to come here. There is no sense in being ignorant of the fact that there are rules which PBA expects its students to follow. However, the administration is forgiving and does realize that students make "mistakes". Though students will often be punished for mess-ups, there is an air of forgiveness around campus. PBA is in a constant state of change, which is something nice about the University. We just got a new President, Lou Hardin (who came from Arkansas). This fall we completed our Library, which is absolutely stunning. Recently, we purchased a new building for the Theatre Department (which was sorely needed), and we are in the process of building a new recreation facility with all of our own sports fields. All the change makes me excited about the future of PBA. I hope to see a great deal of expansion after I am graduated. I also love the location of PBA. I originally came here because I wanted to get out of Ohio and wanted to experience something different. The beach is a perk of going to school at PBA, but like I said earlier, everyday life gets in the way most of the time. After living in West Palm Beach for 2 1/2 years I have come to take the area for-granted. I love the fact that PBA is in the city. There are tons of places to rent for students who want to live off-campus, and there are lots of things to do in the city itself. CityPlace (a shopping center in West Palm) is two blocks away from campus and it has a movie theatre, Starbucks, GAP, Victoria's Secret, Barnes and Noble, Macy's, Cheesecake Factory, and also many other things. Every Friday and Saturday CityPlace has live bands performing and there are a lot of really cool restaurants like Taverna Opa's and Carousel. Also, Clematis Street is about five blocks away from PBA and it does have night-life for the "over-21" crowd. Not only that, but on Clematis there is another Starbucks, more restaurants, a brand-new public library, and on Thursdays they do "Clematis by Night" where live local bands perform and local vendors set-up shop in the square. PBA also has things to do on campus. Coffeehouses are one of my favorite campus activities, though it is usually a younger crowd who attends these events. At coffeehouses there are poetry readings, student bands and performers and different themes. I always enjoy seeing the talent of fellow-students which is why I enjoy going to Coffeehouses. Intramurals are HUGE at PBA. They are one of the best ways to meet new people and make new friends. We have a ton of Intramurals, and if we don't have the sport you want, just suggest that they add it to their schedule and they usually make accommodations. Over 1/2 the student body participates in intramurals, and it's people should definitely get involved in.

The best thing about PBA is the Christian community throughout the campus. PBA is just the right size. Small enough to have community and large enough to still meet new people all the time.

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a multi-denominational University with a little over 3,000 students attending PBA. Our average class size is 25 and our student to teacher ratio is 15:1. The area is gorgeous! We are in walking distance of the beach- The Palm Beach Island. Palm Beach is one of the wealthiest Islands in the nation. Also in walking distance is City Place. City Place is like an outdoor mall with big brand shops, ice cream shops, smoothie shops, IMAX theatre, live music on certain nights, Publix, Barnes N Noble, Starbucks, and many other fun things. It’s great for entertainment but also for job hunting! There are a lot of on-campus activities too. It's hard to get plugged in when you're a commuter. I recommend living on campus if you're able to. The most frequent student complaint is the lack of parking spots.

The best part of PBA for me is the “family” atmosphere that develops on campus between students and also with faculty. Although it is not a requirement for admission, and all individuals are accepted equally regardless of religious background, the fact that most people on campus are professed Christians helps to build this community. We are united in our beliefs and values. My high school back in Orlando is a few hundred students larger than PBA, at first I thought this would be a problem, but quickly I realized that even if there are fewer students I still could not dream to know everyone on campus. Each student is on their own schedule, balancing their own extracurricular activities with off or on campus jobs and homework. It is very easy to make friends at PBA and there is a core of student leaders who are involved with most aspects of campus but I always see new faces and can make new friends daily.

PBA is a Christian university located in downtown West Palm Beach, FL. The campus is very pretty and fairly small. There are about 2400 daytime undergraduate students, and I really like the benefits of attending a small school. I think it's really easy to find a place on campus, and get involved in one of the many extracurricular clubs. There are all different kinds of clubs, such as the Carribean Club, College Democrats and Rebulicans, Student Missions, Science Club, Intramural and Club sports, and the many other student ministries. The transition of moving away from home to a new city was very easy at PBA, althought I am only 2.5 hours from home. The school does a lot to help you to get to know other students and feel at home. I became very good friends with the girls that lived on my hall and I am still friends with most of them now, four years later.

PBAU is a university with good classes, great professors, fun student activities experiences, and always good beach times!