TALLAHASSEE— Despite rising tuition costs across the country, 19 Florida College System institutions nearly top the list of public four-year colleges with the lowest tuition rates.
The U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center released lists identifying college costs.
Among public, four-year institutions, the center identified 19 Florida colleges for the bottom 10 percent for tuition and fees. The FCS’s average for tuition and fees in public, four-year institutions is $2,792 — well below the mid-point of the $7,135 national average. The FCS’s average for tuition and fees for public, two-year institutions is $2,727 — below the national average of $2,905.
The U.S. Department of Education opened the center in 2011 to help track 4,000 institutions’ costs and provide data to help students discern higher education options.
Public, four-year colleges with lowest tuition
Palm Beach State College: $2,324
College of Central Florida: $2,365
Broward College: $2,446
Santa Fe College: $2,457
Pensacola State College: $2,540
Saint Johns River State College: $2,556
Indian River State College: $2,634
Florida State College at Jacksonville: $2,708
Edison State College: $2,728
Gulf Coast State College: $2,765
Northwest Florida State College: $2,851
Valencia College: $2,972
St Petersburg College: $2,988
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota: $3,074
Chipola College: $3,100
Polk State College: $3,114
Seminole State College of Florida: $3,131
Daytona State College – $3,134
Miami Dade College – $3,164
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Affordability and Transparency Center.
For more information about the Florida College System, visit http://www.fldoe.org/fcs/.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Report: Florida colleges among most affordable in nation