HCC vs. Palm Beach State College

Should I go to Hillsborough Community College or Palm Beach State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if HCC or Palm Beach State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Hillsborough Community College vs. Palm Beach State College comparison
Hillsborough Community College Palm Beach State College College 3 College 4
Hillsborough Community College Palm Beach State College
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Overview

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Location Tampa, FL Lake Worth, FL
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 19,504 24,223
Type Public 2 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hccfl.edu palmbeachstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Tuition (In State) $1,931 $3,030
Tuition (Out of State) $7,728 $10,890
Room & Board $9,662 $12,825
Avg Net Price $3,628 $10,549
Avg Grant Aid $7,537 $5,996
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 91%

Admission

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - -
Admitted - -
Acceptance Rate Open Open
Enrolled % Open Open
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores
Application Deadline Aug 20, 2025

Academics

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 27:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (52%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Education (4%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (54%)
  • Health Professions (13%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Work and Family Studies (4%)

Outcomes

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Graduation Rate - -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,600 $36,000
Making Student Loan Payments 34% 38%
Median Student Loan Debt $9,500 $5,750
Median Loan Payment $98 $59

Diversity

 HCC Palm Beach State College
% Men 42% 40%
% Women 58% 60%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 35%
% Black 18% 25%
% Hispanic 26% 28%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 11% 4%

Students

 HCC Palm Beach State College
% In-State 97% 98%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

 HCC Palm Beach State College
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Palm Beach State College is larger than than HCC based on total student enrollment (24,223 students vs. 19,504 students)

HCC vs. Palm Beach State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, HCC or Palm Beach State College?

  • Palm Beach State College is 56.9% more expensive to attend than HCC for in-state tuition ($3,030.00 vs. $1,931.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.9% higher at Palm Beach State College than Hillsborough Community College ($10,890.00 vs. $7,728.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Hillsborough Community College than Palm Beach State College ($3,628 vs. $10,549)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Hillsborough Community College are 32.7% lower than costs at Palm Beach State College ($9,662 vs. $12,825)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Palm Beach State College than Hillsborough Community College (91% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Hillsborough Community College students is 25.7% larger than aid received Palm Beach State College ($7,537 vs. $5,996)

Which college is harder to get into, HCC or Palm Beach State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Palm Beach State College or HCC .

HCC vs. Palm Beach State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, HCC or Palm Beach State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Palm Beach State College and HCC.

  • Graduates from Palm Beach State College earn on average $400 more per year than HCC graduates after ten years. ($36,000 vs. $35,600)
  • Palm Beach State College students graduate with a $3,750 lower median federal student loan debt than HCC graduates. ($5,750 vs. $9,500)
  • Palm Beach State College graduates are paying $39 less per month on federal student loans than HCC graduates. ($59 vs. $98)
  • More Palm Beach State College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former HCC students, three years after graduation. (38% vs. 34%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/