College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.
Palm Beach Atlantic University: First Lady Melania Trump Receives the Women of Distinction Award (49566868102)
Photo: The Trump White House Archived, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Palm Beach Atlantic University

West Palm Beach, FL · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $28,354 a year

Median debt at graduation: $22,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 49%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.55%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,075 · ACT 22
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,213

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$25,570
$30,001–$48,000$25,312
$48,001–$75,000$25,619
$75,001–$110,000$26,244
Over $110,000$32,786

Full cost of attendance before aid: $53,827 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
3,094
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 33% · Women 67%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
22%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
52%
Total students3,875
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$28,354
Cost of attendance (per year)$53,827
Median federal debt at graduation$22,500
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
55%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
42%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
57%
First-year retention68%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$49,232
Admission rate82%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants23%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 950–1220ACT 18–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1075
SAT reading & writing500–620
SAT math450–600
ACT composite18–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$76,008
Finance$66,689
Human resources$60,379
Business administration$59,081
Biology$56,258
Marketing$53,668
Theology$53,398
Psychology$51,530
Communication studies$47,847
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology$42,589

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Allied health, Bible/Biblical Studies, Chemistry, Computer science, Computing and information science, Dance, Design, Economics, Engineering (general), English, Family and human development, Film and video, Fine arts, History, Human services, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, Journalism, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, Political science, Pre-law and legal studies, Public relations, Secondary education, Social sciences, Teacher education, Theatre, Visual and performing arts.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business24%
Health professions15%
Psychology10%
Visual and performing arts10%
Communication8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates5%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older6%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,800
SportsNCAA Division II · Sunshine State Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member13 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 9%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$31,346IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 47% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline servicePresident Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT)About 3 miles away · about 10 minutes by car
Town population122,290Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreMiamiAbout 65 miles away · about 1 hour 25 minutes by car
Typical weather66°F in January · 83°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from West Palm Beach International Airport, FL, about 3 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.480.08
Motor vehicle theft0.360.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Palm Beach Atlantic University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $28,354 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Palm Beach Atlantic University?
Palm Beach Atlantic University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Palm Beach Atlantic University’s graduates do?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,232; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.

Ask the school

Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.

Sign in to ask a question

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 136330
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Interdenominational
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

Colleges like this one

The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.

More in Florida · Florida rankings

0 school selectedCompare

What would it cost your family?

Pick your family’s yearly income. Each college then shows what families like yours paid on average after grants and scholarships (federal data).

Reach, Target or Likely?

Enter an SAT or ACT to sort every college in this search.

Will you get in?

Enter your SAT or ACT. We compare it with the middle range of students the college admitted.