Sarasota, Florida Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
TL;DR
EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Sarasota, Florida shows: median public in-state tuition $21,680 (+293.3% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $45,704 (-15.9% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 77.6% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $20,770 (+54.6% vs U.S.) 4,440 students enrolled statewide.
Key Facts
- Institutions in this profile: 10 campuses
- Total college enrollment: 4,440 students
- Median public in-state tuition: $21,680 (+293.3% vs U.S.)
- Median earnings 10 years after entry: $45,704 (-15.9% vs U.S.)
- Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 77.6% (-10.4 pp vs U.S.)
- Median net price: $23,324 (+134.0% vs U.S.)
- Median student debt at graduation: $20,770 (+54.6% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $14,173
- Average completion rate (institutions in state): 69.4%
- Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 81.0%
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Overview
EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Sarasota, Florida—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against Florida and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Sarasota vs Florida & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota, Florida | $21,680 | $23,324 | $20,770 | 69.4% | 4,440 |
| Florida (state median) | $3,110 | $7,247 | $13,000 | 53.6% | 857,173 |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Sarasota, Florida vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota, Florida | $45,704 | 77.6% | 81.0% | 5.1% | — | 73.8% | 0.49 |
| Florida (state median) | $49,137 | 82.9% | 75.6% | 5.5% | — | 65.9% | 0.42 |
| United States | $54,323 | 87.9% | 76.3% | 5.0% | — | 73.7% | 0.41 |
Other cities in Florida (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarasota, Florida | $21,680 | $23,324 | $20,770 | 69.4% | 4,440 | $45,704 | 77.6% |
| Orlando | $17,408 | $19,775 | $13,048 | 38.9% | 110,169 | $65,295 | 83.1% |
| Miami | $15,868 | $18,120 | $9,500 | 54.8% | 107,560 | $55,966 | 84.7% |
| Tampa | $18,145 | $19,484 | $13,000 | 48.9% | 74,134 | $40,092 | 79.2% |
| Gainesville | $5,128 | $15,692 | $15,000 | 84.7% | 52,208 | $71,588 | 88.7% |
| Gainesville | $5,128 | $15,692 | $15,000 | 84.7% | 52,208 | $71,588 | 88.7% |
| Tallahassee | $5,720 | $11,297 | $13,500 | 53.3% | 51,736 | $53,012 | 89.1% |
| Fort Lauderdale | $25,056 | $22,838 | $24,149 | 61.0% | 50,305 | $46,933 | 80.6% |
| Jacksonville | $15,733 | $21,981 | $13,000 | 35.5% | 41,036 | $56,343 | 87.1% |
| United States | $5,512 | $9,967 | $13,432 | 50.3% | 14,484,370 | $54,323 | 87.9% |
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 72.1%, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 66.7%, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 79.4%, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 75.7%, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 most selective colleges in Sarasota, Florida (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 69.7%, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 73.2%, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $44,048, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $32,858, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $75,213, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $41,759, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,650, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $32,611, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $44,363, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $42,029, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $48,082, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $43,325, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $182,418, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $-63,762, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Top 10 most affordable colleges in Sarasota, Florida (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $7,195, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
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Rank 2, Net Price, $57,742, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
Top 10 colleges in Sarasota, Florida by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 86.4%, Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 75.6%, New College of Florida
New College of Florida
In-state tuition: Sarasota, Florida vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Sarasota, Florida median in-state tuition is $21,680, +293.3% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Sarasota, Florida vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Sarasota, Florida is $20,770 (+54.6% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $14,173.
Median earnings (10 years out): Sarasota, Florida vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Sarasota, Florida center around $45,704 (-15.9% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Sarasota, Florida vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 77.6% at the median Sarasota, Florida campus (-10.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Sarasota, Florida median public in-state tuition is $21,680, about +293.3% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +334.3%.
Median graduate debt is $20,770 (+54.6% above the U.S. median of $13,432). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Sarasota, Florida are $45,704, about -15.9% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).
The median campus reports 77.6% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (-10.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 81.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.3%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 5.1% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 73.8% (U.S. 73.7%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Ringling College of Art and Design (79.4%), New College of Florida (75.7%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Sarasota, Florida is 69.4% (national institution average about 50.3%).
FAQ
How many colleges are in Sarasota?
EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 10 campuses in Sarasota, Florida with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Sarasota?
EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Sarasota is $21,680 and median net price is $23,324. For Florida overall, medians are $3,110 and $7,247; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.
What do graduates earn in Sarasota?
EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Sarasota is $45,704 vs $49,137 for Florida and $54,323 nationally.
What is student debt like for Sarasota colleges?
EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Sarasota is $20,770 vs $13,000 for Florida and $13,432 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Sarasota?
EDsmart Data analysis: top campuses on this page include Ringling College of Art and Design (graduation) and New College of Florida (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Sarasota?
EDsmart Data analysis: among 10 College Scorecard campuses in Sarasota, Florida, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, and none meet our 25% Hispanic-enrollment HSI proxy or report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
Sources & related
- Florida college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
- Download: JSON