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Summary
Florida Southern College is a private institution that was founded in 1883. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,040, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 113 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Florida Southern College's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges (South), 4. Its tuition and fees are $27,200 (2012-13).
With an average of 330 sunny days a year, Florida Southern College sits between Tampa and Orlando in the city of Lakeland, Fla. Students admitted to the college have the opportunity to join more than 70 clubs and student organizations as well as more than 20 intramural sports. Greek life is also prevalent on campus with more than 10 fraternities and sororities for students to choose from. With consistently warm temperatures, many students at Florida Southern spend their time outside of class water skiing, kayaking, and sailing on Lake Hollingsworth, which is located directly across from campus. First year students are permitted to have cars, and more than 70 percent of the student body lives on campus during their college careers. Known as the Moccasins, Florida Southern College fields 18 varsity athletic teams that compete in the Sunshine State Conference in the NCAA Division II.
Florida Southern College is accessible to many major attractions in the state. The college is less than an hour away from Walt Disney World, Busch Gardens, Universal Studios, Sea World, and Cypress Garden. Students more interested in beach life are less than an hour away from Gulf of Mexico beaches and roughly 90 minutes from beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. Numerous Major League Baseball teams hold spring training in the area, including the Detroit Tigers, whose home is right in Lakeland, Fla. The campus of Florida Southern is home to the single largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings in one location. Notable alumni of the college include professional golfers Lee Janzen and Rocco Mediate.
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Florida Southern College is among the nation's best private colleges and an award-winning national leader in engaged learning as evidenced by receiving the prestigious William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education by the National Society of Experiential Education. FSC guarantees every student an internship and study abroad experience, and provides students with numerous opportunities for service-learning, music performance, and student-faculty collaborative research. Many FSC collaborative research projects are chosen for presentation at both regional and national professional conferences. FSC offers more than 50 dynamic majors including business, psychology, biological sciences, chemistry, nursing, fine arts, and communication, as well as high-quality, pre-professional programs such as pre-medicine, pre-veterinarian, and pre-law. Students also have the opportunity to pursue self-designed majors. The College offers distinctive master's programs in business, nursing, and education. A full-time, hands-on, 16-month MBA program is open to graduates with a degree from any major. Our involved students enjoy outstanding student life programming that includes championship NCAA Division II events in 19 sports, as well as intramurals, more than 70 clubs and organizations, a comprehensive National Greek system, and an elaborate and diverse selection of weekend activities such as the College's popular lakefront program featuring free kayaks, canoes, and paddleboats. The College's commitment to engaged learning is reflected in its 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. FSC faculty is committed to providing students personalized, hands-on learning both in and out of the classroom, which affords students with the opportunity to experience real-world applications in their field of study. Examples include business students establishing strategic planning and operational reports for both corporate and non-profit organizations; nursing students delivering babies in Tanzania; chemistry students collaborating with faculty to become published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry; political science students living and studying in Washington, D.C.; and fine arts students performing alongside members of the famed Imperial Symphony Orchestra. The real-world experience that FSC students receive pays off, because within six months of graduation, 96% of graduates report obtaining a great job or entering a prestigious graduate or professional school. An innovative new program, the Junior Journey, guarantees all entering students the opportunity to study domestically or internationally. During their Junior Journey, students work with faculty and receive course credit by studying in places such as Costa Rica, Brazil, or Columbia. FSC students partner with faculty and develop their Junior Journey experience, tailoring their travel to fit their academic goals. Others pursue experiences in China, England, France, Italy, and Spain. FSC was designated a National Historic Landmark and is nationally ranked for its beauty, due in part to its location on the shores of scenic Lake Hollingsworth. FSC is within an hour's drive of Tampa and Orlando, which provides access to some of the nation's most pristine beaches, world-class entertainment and shopping, and professional sporting venues. With state-of-the-art technology centers; modern residence halls featuring bedrooms with stunning views of Lake Hollingsworth and top-of-the-line amenities; a Humanities building that includes a language lab, film studies center, and theater; a Communication building with a full media studio; simulated patient labs in a cutting-edge Nursing building; a cyber cafe; renovated dining halls; and Frank Lloyd Wright-designs such as the Water Dome, Planetarium, and Theater-in-the-Round, students have access to an environment that encourages reflection, stresses imagination, demands curiosity, and creates energy. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1883 |
| Religious affiliation | United Methodist |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2011 Endowment | $78,071,668 |
Applying
When applying to Florida Southern College, it's important to note the application deadline is rolling, and the early decision deadline is December 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due July 1. The application fee at Florida Southern College is $30. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 65.1 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 65.1% |
| Application deadline | rolling |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | July 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Florida Southern College is 13:1, and the school has 50.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Florida Southern College include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Health Professions and Related Programs; Social Sciences; and Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 76.2 percent.
Student Life
Florida Southern College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,040, with a gender distribution of 41.5 percent male students and 58.5 percent female students. At this school, 74.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 26.0 percent of students live off campus. Florida Southern College is part of the NCAA II athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 2,219 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA II |
Campus Info & Services
Florida Southern College offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Florida Southern College also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Florida Southern College, 70 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is not permitted for students of legal age at Florida Southern College.
| Students who have cars on campus | 70% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Florida Southern College, 73.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $8,562.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $27,200 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $9,100 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
