College and Universities

St. Petersburg is home to four institutions of higher learning that attract talent from around the nation.

Those who come to school here often fall in love with the area and stick around, bringing fresh energy and expertise to a variety of industries. We don’t blame them. This is a pretty cool place to work.

University of South Florida

At a Glance

USF's St. Petersburg campus is Pinellas County’s residential public research institution. Located on Bayboro Harbor in the City’s Innovation District, USF in St. Pete offers more than 40 undergraduate and graduate programs in three colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education.

Accolades

USF is among the top 11 U.S. public universities and top 23 universities worldwide for granted U.S. patents according to the Intellectual Property Owners Association/NAI (2022), and has ranked in the top 15 among public universities for U.S. patents granted for the 10th consecutive year.

The USF Muma College of Business boasts one of the nation's best accounting schools, a top-ranked entrepreneurship center, a nationally-ranked MBA program, and world-class research faculty. The St. Petersburg campus hosts the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance, the Institute for Data Analytics and Visualization , and the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Center, among others.

For 2023, the USF Center for Entrepreneurship's graduate program broke into the Top 10 in the country, taking the No. 9 spot, as well as the No. 5 spot among public universities, and No. 1 in the South, according to Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review.

In 2022, USF launched the Fintech Center at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance as a hub of excellence to bring academic research, world-class teaching, business engagement, and innovations surrounding the expanding financial technology sector under one roof on the St. Pete campus.

In 2020, USF received the Carnegie Foundation's "Community Engagement" Classification, a designation that recognizes institutional commitment to community and civic engagement.

USF faculty work with major granting agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture.

Eckerd College

At a Glance

Eckerd College was founded as Florida Presbyterian College in 1960. The 188-acre campus along Boca Ciega Bay features a white-sand beach with swimming, boating, and sunbathing. The campus is a natural oasis with native plants and wildlife just 10 minutes from vibrant downtown Saint Petersburg.

The liberal arts school offers over 40 programs and majors. All students take classes across art, literature, and sciences to learn a wide variety of subjects and further deepen their education.

Accolades

Eckerd is home to 74 NOAA Hollings Scholars—more than any other college in the country.

Eckerd offers students over 300 study abroad destinations every year.

Eckerd College was named one of “40 Colleges That Change Lives.”

Eckerd College hosts a sustainable campus and a LEED-certified residence hall. They provide 125 bikes for students to use for free as an alternative transportation.

Eckerd College features world class faculty, with 95% holding the highest degree in their field.

Of the Eckerd College students who enroll full-time continuously, 97% graduate within 4 years.

Stetson University College of Law

At a Glance

Stetson University College of Law was founded in 1900, and Florida’s first law school. The historic campus is located Gulfport, FL with a College of Law satellite campus in downtown Tampa, which opened in 2004. The campus is located just minutes from the beach, and a short drive from downtown St. Petersburg.

Stetson Law offers 5 J.D. concentration programs, 60 skills electives, and joint or dual-degrees in J.D./LL.M., J.D./M.B.A., and J.D./M.P.H. The campus features 7 courtrooms, sharing one with a working court, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal.

Accolades

Stetson Law is ranked #1 for trial advocacy and #4 for legal writing by U.S. News & World Report.

Stetson Law award-winning debate teams are internationally renowned and ranked #12 in Moot Court by preLaw magazine.

Stetson offers more than 30 clinic and internship courses to give students hands-on, working experience.

Stetson’s Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy received the 2016 Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy award from American Bar Association.

St. Petersburg College

At a Glance

St. Petersburg College (SPC) is a state college in the Florida College System, founded in 1927. It has on average 65,000 students across 11 campuses and centers across the Bay area, with four located in St. Petersburg.

SPC offers 4-year bachelor’s degrees and 2-year associate degrees with over 100 degree and certificate programs in total. SPC focuses on building students job skills and preparing graduate for a career.

Accolades

St. Petersburg College is #7 in the nation for awarding degrees in liberal arts & sciences, general studies, and humanities, when compared with similar institutions.

SPC named a Leader College by Achieving the Dream in 2015, for St. Pete College’s commitment to improving student success.

90% of SPC graduates go on to work in their field, continue their education, or serve with the military.

SPC is #12 in the nation for the number of associate degrees awarded in all disciplines, compared to all other 2 and 4-year programs.