There are 21 public or private schools within 25 miles of West Palm Beach, FL. Utilizing data compiled by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), students can make an educated decision about the school to attend by considering several factors, such as proximity to West Palm Beach, school size, net price, and graduation rate.
Schools Near West Palm Beach
The three closest schools to West Palm Beach are private schools - two for-profits and one nonprofits. The closest public schools to the city include Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth (7 miles from downtown) and Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton (22 miles from downtown). Palm Beach State offers undergraduate degree programs, while Florida Atlantic provides undergrad and graduate programs. The following schools in or near downtown West Palm Beach offer traditional and career programs:
- Palm Beach Atlantic University, private/nonprofit (located downtown)
- Keiser University - Residential, private/nonprofit (2 miles from downtown)
- Florida Career College, private/for-profit (3.5 miles from downtown)
Largest Schools Near West Palm Beach
As might be expected, the schools with the highest student population include the two public universities - Florida Atlantic University with 30,155 undergraduate and graduate students, and Palm Beach State College with 24,151 students (all undergrads). Student population drops considerably in the next five largest schools near the city:
- Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach (3,687 undergrad and graduate students)
- Lynn University in Boca Raton (3,385 undergrad and graduate students)
- Everglades University in Boca Raton (2,649 undergrad and graduate students)
- Florida Career College-West Palm Beach (722 undergrad and graduate students)
- Southeastern College in West Palm Beach (694 students, all undergraduate)
Net Price
Calculations to find net price take into account the average in-state cost of attendance (including tuition, fees, room/board and books) and subtracts the average amount of financial aid awarded. The NCES provides school-specific net price information for full-time undergraduate students. As with school size, the two public schools stand apart from the private schools located in the area. Florida Atlantic University reports the lowest net price of $8,771, while the net price for Palm Beach State College was $9,277 during the 2020-2021 school year.
- South University- West Palm Beach in Royal Palm Beach ($17,495)
- Southeastern College-West Palm Beach in West Palm Beach ($27,695)
- Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach ($27,881)
Graduation Rate
The NCES also compiles data on graduation rates based on the percentage of full-time, beginning undergraduates who complete their program within 150% of the normal time frame; for bachelor's degree seekers, this is considered to be six years. Of the schools that reported a graduation rate to NCES, the following five reported the highest graduation rates in 2021:
- Southeastern College in West Palm Beach (91% graduation rate)
- Florida Career College in Boynton Beach (59% graduation rate)
- Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton (55% graduation rate)
- Florida Career College in West Palm Beach (54% graduation rate)
- Lynn University in Boca Raton (50% graduation rate)
There are a few options when it comes to colleges in and near West Palm Beach, Florida. Most of the schools are private schools, though students can consider location, size, cost and education quality when choosing the best school for them.
