Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, FL · Private · Midsize city · PBAU · Palm Beach Atlantic PBA
Private institution in West Palm Beach, FL · 2,427 undergraduates · 88% acceptance rate · $49,232 median earnings 10 years after entry.
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $32,7511,799th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $37,9901,577th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $37,9901,536th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $55,5761,604th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,500934th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $49,2321,112th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $42,3661,063rd highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 59.0%811th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 67.0%1,376th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 88.3%1,173rd most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1101681st highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23493rd highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,427824th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 13.0:1979th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 25.1%1,455th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 44 mi (FLL)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 39 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $53,358 | $54,996 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $45,529 | — |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $40,392 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $44,170 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $42,235 | $39,523 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $33,993 | $36,668 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $28,598 | $32,925 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $28,598 | $29,685 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $27,874 | $28,598 |
| MusicVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | $26,353 | — |
| Theological and Ministerial StudiesTheology | bachelors | $25,194 | $32,382 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Interdenominationalsource
- Founded in 1968source
- Athletic nickname: "Sailfish"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: #002A5C and #FFFFFFsource
- Motto: "Enlightening Minds, Enriching Souls, Extending Hands"source
- Formerly known as "Palm Beach Atlantic College" (1968–2002)source
- Athletic conference: Sunshine Statesource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division II without football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,142,878 (M $1,860,909 · W $2,281,969)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Palm Beach Atlantic University’s 2,427 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In FL
- Bethune-Cookman UniversityDaytona Beach, FL · 2,414 undergrads
- Flagler CollegeSaint Augustine, FL · 2,404 undergrads
- Everglades UniversityBoca Raton, FL · 2,369 undergrads
- Florida National University-Main CampusHialeah, FL · 2,354 undergrads
- Stetson UniversityDeLand, FL · 2,292 undergrads
- Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL · 2,582 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Augsburg UniversityMinneapolis, MN · 2,429 undergrads
- Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY · 2,430 undergrads
- Mississippi CollegeClinton, MS · 2,423 undergrads
- Le Moyne CollegeSyracuse, NY · 2,434 undergrads
- Augustana CollegeRock Island, IL · 2,418 undergrads
- Clover Park Technical CollegeLakewood, WA · 2,417 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitepba.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 136330)
- Compare colleges in FLRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in FloridaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Bethune-Cookman UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Palm Beach Atlantic University vs Bethune-Cookman UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.