Public Bachelor's Strong 75/100

Santa Fe College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Gainesville, Florida

About Santa Fe College

Thinking about Santa Fe College, a college in Florida where more students graduate in Liberal Arts than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Santa Fe College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Gainesville, Florida. It enrolls 11,122 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
29.6%
Net Price
$11,098
Median Earnings (10yr)
$41,631
Enrollment
11,122
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Strong
75/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 78
Value 60
Affordability 44
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Santa Fe College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $11,098 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$11,098
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
11%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$2,563
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$9,189
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,367
Books & Supplies
$783
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,951
Total Cost of Attendance
$14,165

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,268
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,485
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,608
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $12,568
  • Over $110,000
    $13,201

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$1,800
10% percentile
$3,306
25% percentile
$11,310
Median percentile
$13,300
75% percentile
$24,453
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $8,000 ↓ $3,310
No Pell $5,994 ↓ $5,316
Dependent students $5,954 ↓ $5,356
Independent students $11,200 ↓ $110
Female students $7,696 ↓ $3,614
Male students $6,500 ↓ $4,810
Pell recipients: 17.6% (1,995 students)No Pell: 13.2% (1,495 students)Dependent students: 13.1% (1,485 students)Independent students: 24.7% (2,794 students)Female students: 17.0% (1,920 students)Male students: 14.3% (1,621 students)Overall Median$11,310
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,846, less than completers ($11,310), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

30% of students who start here finish within six years. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
30%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $41,631 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$41,631
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$34,000$36,000$38,000$40,000$43,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,400

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$45,400

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$35,500

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$41,400

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$46,200

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $11,000, about 24% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.4 pts across 6 years
40.9%1yr48.9%3yr55.9%5yr63.3%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 63% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 11,122 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 42% are the first in their family to go to college, and 50% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
11,122
Part-Time
50%
First-Generation
42%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 50.3% 5,593
Hispanic 23.1% 2,569
Black 11.6% 1,293
Other 5.4% 603
Asian 3.9% 432
International 3.0% 334
White: 50.3% (5,593 students)Hispanic: 23.1% (2,569 students)Black: 11.6% (1,293 students)Other: 5.4% (603 students)Asian: 3.9% (432 students)International: 3.0% (334 students)Total11,122

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Santa Fe College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize Suburb Gainesville, Florida
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
22% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Santa Fe College offers an extensive catalog of programs: 47 distinct programs across 16 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

1 Program
14 Programs
7 Programs
4 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$4,501
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$37M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$61,346
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

272 instructional faculty across 1 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
No Rank 272 100% $61,346

Pros & Cons of Santa Fe College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Santa Fe College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Low typical debt at graduation
  • First-gen-friendly student body
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for: Based on the data, Santa Fe College is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options.

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Fe College

The questions families ask most about Santa Fe College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Santa Fe College cost?
Budget around $11,098 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $41,631 a year against a net price of $11,098, about 3.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Santa Fe College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Santa Fe College graduates earn?
About $41,631 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe College accredited?
Yes. Santa Fe College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Santa Fe College?
11,122 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Santa Fe College?
30% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Santa Fe College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Santa Fe College located?
Santa Fe College is located in Gainesville, Florida.
What programs does Santa Fe College offer?
47 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Nursing, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Santa Fe College?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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