St Petersburg College vs. Columbus State

Should I go to St Petersburg College or Columbus State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if St Petersburg College or Columbus State 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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St Petersburg College vs. Columbus State University comparison
St Petersburg College Columbus State University College 3 College 4
St Petersburg College Columbus State University
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Overview

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
Location Largo, FL Columbus, GA
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 23,501 7,479
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #995
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website spcollege.edu columbusstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
Tuition (In State) $1,943 $4,371
Tuition (Out of State) $7,774 $15,425
Room & Board $10,883 $12,080
Avg Net Price $2,132 $12,902
Avg Grant Aid $8,827 $9,147
% Receiving Grant Aid 78% 98%

Admission

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 3,870
Admitted - 3,398
Acceptance Rate Open 87.8%
Enrolled % Open 30.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.0 3.07
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/23
SAT Range 900/1130
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jun 30, 2025

Academics

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (51%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (6%)
  • Education (5%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (24%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (4%)

Outcomes

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
Graduation Rate - 31%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,700 $37,400
Making Student Loan Payments 30% 37%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,249 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $168 $268

Diversity

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
% Men 38% 40%
% Women 62% 60%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 64% 51%
% Black 14% 37%
% Hispanic 13% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 St Petersburg College Columbus State
% In-State 97% 92%
% Out-of-State 2% 5%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • St Petersburg College is larger than than Columbus State based on total student enrollment (23,501 students vs. 7,479 students)

St Petersburg College vs. Columbus State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, St Petersburg College or Columbus State?

  • Columbus State University is 125% more expensive to attend than St Petersburg College for in-state tuition ($4,371.00 vs. $1,943.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 98.4% higher at Columbus State than St Petersburg College ($15,425.00 vs. $7,774.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at St Petersburg College than Columbus State ($2,132 vs. $12,902)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at St Petersburg College are 11% lower than costs at Columbus State University ($10,883 vs. $12,080)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Columbus State University than St Petersburg College (98% vs. 78%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Columbus State University students is 3.6% larger than aid received St Petersburg College ($9,147 vs. $8,827)

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

  • Accepted freshman Columbus State students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.07) than students at St Petersburg College (3.0)

St Petersburg College vs. Columbus State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, St Petersburg College or Columbus State? 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 Columbus State and St Petersburg College.

  • Graduates from Columbus State University earn on average $1,700 more per year than St Petersburg College graduates after ten years. ($37,400 vs. $35,700)
  • St Petersburg College students graduate with a $9,751 lower median federal student loan debt than Columbus State graduates. ($16,249 vs. $26,000)
  • St Petersburg College graduates are paying $100 less per month on federal student loans than Columbus State graduates. ($168 vs. $268)
  • More Columbus State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former St Petersburg College students, three years after graduation. (37% vs. 30%)

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