Pensacola State vs. Beacon College

Should I go to Pensacola State College or Beacon College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Pensacola State or Beacon 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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Florida
Pensacola State College vs. Beacon College comparison
Pensacola State College Beacon College College 3 College 4
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Overview

 Pensacola State Beacon College
Location Pensacola, FL Leesburg, FL
Setting Small City Small Suburban
Enrollment 8,518 527
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website pensacolastate.edu beaconcollege.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Pensacola State Beacon College
Tuition (In State) $1,871 $48,510
Tuition (Out of State) $7,483 $48,510
Room & Board $10,226 $14,842
Avg Net Price $3,436 $47,664
Avg Grant Aid $6,614 $21,203
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 97%

Admission

 Pensacola State Beacon College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 593
Admitted - 358
Acceptance Rate Open 60.4%
Enrolled % Open 35.2%
Avg High School GPA 2.54 3.2
Typical High School Grades C+ B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 30, 2026

Academics

 Pensacola State Beacon College
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (53%)
  • Health Professions (25%)
  • Personal and Culinary Services (6%)
  • Work and Family Studies (3%)
  • Engineering Technology (3%)
  • Human Services (41%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)

Outcomes

 Pensacola State Beacon College
Graduation Rate - 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $30,300 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 46% 55%
Median Student Loan Debt $3,500 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $36 $258

Diversity

 Pensacola State Beacon College
% Men 9% 4%
% Women 12% 2%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 66% 70%
% Black 16% 15%
% Hispanic 6% 4%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 0% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Pensacola State Beacon College
% In-State 91% 33%
% Out-of-State 4% 65%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Pensacola State College is larger than than Beacon College based on total student enrollment (8,518 students vs. 527 students)

Pensacola State vs. Beacon College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Pensacola State or Beacon College?

  • Beacon College is 2,492.7% more expensive to attend than Pensacola State for in-state tuition ($48,510.00 vs. $1,871.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 548.3% higher at Beacon College than Pensacola State College ($48,510.00 vs. $7,483.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Pensacola State College than Beacon College ($3,436 vs. $47,664)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Pensacola State College are 45.1% lower than costs at Beacon College ($10,226 vs. $14,842)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Beacon College than Pensacola State College (97% vs. 76%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Beacon College students is 220.6% larger than aid received Pensacola State College ($21,203 vs. $6,614)

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

  • Accepted freshman Beacon College students have a 0.66 point higher average high school GPA (3.2) than students at Pensacola State (2.54)

Pensacola State vs. Beacon College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Pensacola State or Beacon 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 Beacon College and Pensacola State.

  • Pensacola State College students graduate with a $21,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Beacon College graduates. ($3,500 vs. $25,000)
  • Pensacola State graduates are paying $222 less per month on federal student loans than Beacon College graduates. ($36 vs. $258)
  • More Beacon College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Pensacola State students, three years after graduation. (55% vs. 46%)

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