I am going to walk you through what the federal government reports about Flagler College: who studies there, how students get in, how much it costs, how much aid it distributes, and what happens to students once they arrive. I am not going to sell you this school or dismiss it for you. I am going to give you the map. What your child and your family do with it—that is their story.
Who Flagler College is
Let’s start with the basics, because the basics matter too.
Flagler College is a private, nonprofit institution offering four-year programs or longer. The federal Carnegie system classifies it as a small, primarily residential baccalaureate college with diverse fields: in the most recent reporting period with this information, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time. The highest degree it reports offering is a master’s degree, not a doctorate.
Where is it? In Saint Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County and within the Jacksonville metropolitan area, although that does not mean the campus is in the center of that city. The Census classification places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, but outside the principal city. If your child plans to live at home and commute every day, do not rely on the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the time they would have class. The real travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
Flagler College does not have any of the three designations the government uses to identify institutions with a specific mission toward certain communities: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this directory, only 138 have one of those three labels. Flagler’s absence from that list says nothing about which students it serves today or how your child will feel on that campus. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
One fact worth keeping for later: in the 2021 Carnegie classification, Flagler appears among institutions that receive many transfer students. If your child plans to arrive here after starting at another school, that gives them a clue, not a promise. Before enrolling, ask in writing which courses will count and which will not.
The size of the community and who makes it up
Flagler had 2,441 enrolled students in the official fall count: 2,432 undergraduates and only 9 graduate students. It is mainly an undergraduate institution, of medium size—among the 941 selective private schools in this census that report the information, its size is among the most common, neither among the largest nor the smallest.
Within that community, there are more women than men: 68 out of every 100 undergraduate students are women. Students ages 25 through 64 are a minority: only 5 out of every 100. And slightly more than half of new students, 52 out of every 100, reported a permanent address in Florida when applying. The other half, practically speaking, came from outside the state.
Regarding Latino diversity, the figure is clear and should be stated without embellishment: 13 out of every 100 undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority. Compared with the other 941 selective private schools in this census, it ranks above the middle of the group without reaching the highest quarter—so it is not the lowest on the map, but it is not a campus where Latino presence dominates the landscape either. That comparison has an important limitation: peers are grouped by school type, not by state, and it does not account for where Flagler is located in the country. If Latino presence on campus matters to your family—and for many families it matters a great deal—do not stop at the percentage. During the visit, ask what exists today: a Latino student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish with you.
How classes are organized and what degrees are awarded there
The academic year at Flagler is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts AP exam credit, but did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit. It also reports accepting credit for military training. Accepting AP does not mean it gives credit for every exam: ask for the equivalency table in writing, including minimum scores and the exact credits awarded, before including those savings in your budget.
In one year, Flagler awarded 552 bachelor’s degrees, spread across 16 career families. The largest was business and administration, with 27 out of every 100 degrees—no other area exceeded it, but it does not make up the bulk of the offerings either. It is a school with a reasonably broad range of programs, not a factory for a single major. This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the full current catalog: if your child already knows what they want to study, ask about that specific major, not the school as a whole.
Regarding class size, what is available is a ratio of 16 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a middle-range figure compared with the general benchmark, but among similar schools—selective private schools in this census—it falls in the quarter with the highest ratio. Both readings are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of first-year classes: that is not in this report and must be asked directly.
Flagler also reports some structured pathways worth keeping in mind if they apply to your child: study abroad, noncredit developmental education, and programs related to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification.
The front door: how Flagler admits students and whom
This is one of the areas where families get most confused, so let’s take it slowly.
Flagler does not have open admission. It reviews several parts of an application before saying yes. Of the nine considerations the government asks about, it marked six as required: the high school transcript, high school GPA, completion of the required college-preparatory coursework, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and the English-language proficiency examination for applicants who need it. In addition, although they are not required, it considers work experience and whether someone in the family has studied there. That last factor—legacy—is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply to their situation, do not spend energy thinking about it. Spend it on what is within their control: the essay, the letters, the transcript. The published undergraduate application fee is $50.
Now for the number people ask about most: how difficult it is to get in. In the 2023 cycle, Flagler received 5,509 first-time applications and offered admission to 4,302. That is 78 out of every 100. It is an accessible admission rate, and among the other 942 selective private schools in this census, it ranks in the middle, a little above the midpoint of the group. Put plainly: if your child meets the requirements and completes their application fully and on time, there is a real reason to apply. But that figure is from one cycle, not a fixed rule at the school—if there are more applicants in your child’s year and available places do not increase, the number falls on its own. Check again when the time comes.
Here is something that confuses many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 ultimately enrolled at Flagler. The other 85 had an acceptance in hand and chose something else. This is not a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made the decision they made, and what other people did does not predict what your child will be offered. What does matter: wait for your financial-aid letter, with the actual net price, before deciding whether this school stays on the list.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required at Flagler. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application is still just as complete. Of enrolled students, only 21 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 520 and 620 in reading and writing, and between 470 and 580 in math. Those figures describe students who were already enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants, and they do not prove that scores were used in the admission decision. That 520 is not a floor, nor is that 620 a guarantee.
And regarding transfers: in fall 2023, Flagler received 121 undergraduate students arriving for the first time after studying at another institution. Among similar schools in this census, that number places it in the upper half. What is not reported is the outflow rate—how many students who began there transferred elsewhere—so this figure counts arrivals only, not departures.
The list price and the number that really matters
At Flagler College, among 94 first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $22,668. Among 71 students in the same population with family EFC income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $25,428; among 195 students with family EFC income above $110,000, it was $35,920. For dependent students, the range adds their parents’ income and their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band (94 students) and that for the highest-income band (195 students), there is a difference of $13,252. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant, the average was $31,085.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this information with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you need to request the aid letter before deciding.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; public institutions use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with grants, when it appears, describes first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. What controls is the aid letter you receive.
How it is paid for: grants, loans, and what Flagler distributes
Almost everyone receives something. At Flagler, 99 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some scholarship or aid that does not need to be repaid. Among those who received it, the annual average was $10,100. That does not mean everyone receives that amount—it is the average among those who received something, not for the entire school.
The Pell Grant, federal aid for low-income families, reached 28 out of every 100 students. It is a lower figure than general aid, and the difference may come from state, institutional, or other sources that this breakdown does not separate. Do not read $10,100 as a promise for your child: it is what happened to other students in a past year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, the deadlines, and what happens to the grant if grades drop.
Regarding loans: 54 out of every 100 Flagler undergraduate students received a federal student loan during the 2022–23 academic year. Among those who borrowed, each received $6,584 on average that year. Financing with debt is common here, not the exception. If your child borrowed something similar in each of the four years, the total would be around $26,336, not counting interest—and that calculation should be made before the first signature, not afterward. This average includes only federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit cards.
Flagler also reports a tuition payment plan in installments, as a way to manage the cost throughout the year.
Campus life, athletics, and available supports
Flagler does have institution-owned housing and meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. It is not required for all first-time students, but that does not mean no program requires it—ask for the exact rule that applies to your child’s year and program. IPEDS reports a maximum housing capacity of 1,250 students. Having rooms does not guarantee an available bed: ask for the year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether a space is guaranteed or you will be placed on a waiting list.
Flagler did not indicate any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report, neither the general box nor any of the three branches. Of the 1,786 four-year institutions in this guide, 926 did indicate one; Flagler was not among them. If your child’s plan depends on that scholarship, do not cross it off immediately: ask admissions directly, because this field reports what was marked, not everything that exists.
In athletics, Flagler does compete at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA—it reports membership for basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say in which division each sport competes or whether scholarships are available. If athletics matter, write directly to the coach and request the answer in writing.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeds the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital collections, as well as interlibrary loan. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee there are databases specific to your child’s major—that must be asked by major name.
Flagler also reports distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in practice it is marginal: only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance. In support services, it reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for currently enrolled students, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities.
What happens after enrollment: who stays and who graduates
This is the part almost no family reviews closely, and it is among the most important.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022—761 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students—515 met the retention criterion one year later: they were still enrolled or had already graduated. That is 68 out of every 100. Compared with the other 930 selective private schools in this census, that proportion falls in the lower part: seven out of every ten of those schools, or more, retained a greater proportion.
Do not turn this into a verdict. On the other side are 246 people whose outcome the source does not reveal. Not appearing as retained does not mean someone gave up—they may have transferred, paused, or begun working. The information reports the outcome, not the causes.
Regarding graduation: IPEDS followed 739 students who began bachelor’s degrees at Flagler in 2017, as full-time, first-time students. After six years, 413 had graduated there—56 out of every 100. After four years, the figure is 48 out of every 100; an eight-point difference between one time frame and the other. Compared with the other 920 selective private schools in this census, Flagler falls below the middle of the group.
Here is the hard truth, without embellishment: more than half graduate within the standard time frame, but fewer than half do so in four years, and the school is below the median of its peers in six-year graduation. That does not say what will happen to your child. It says that, if Flagler makes the list, it is worth asking directly what support exists to help students stay on track toward graduating on time.
One broader figure, at eight years: of an annual cohort of 909 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including first-time students and those with previous college experience, full time and part time—62 out of every 100 had a Flagler degree or certificate as of August 2023. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure falls to 58 out of every 100, six points lower than among those who did not receive it. Compared with 935 similar schools in this census, it is also below the median. 10 out of every 100 had an unknown enrollment status: the report simply could not determine whether they were still enrolled somewhere. Unknown is not the same as having dropped out.
What this article cannot tell you
There are no reliable federal data here on what a Flagler graduate earns, how quickly they find employment, or how much debt they carry at graduation beyond a single year of loans. That is outside what this article can claim using the available official sources.
How this fits into your plan
You now have an important piece: what Flagler College is like according to what the federal government reports about it. You know it is a medium-sized, primarily residential school, with an accessible admission rate but a graduation rate below the median of its peers. You know that financing with loans is common there, not the exception.
The college’s role is to admit students, offer aid, and report what it reports. Your child’s role is their essay, transcript, effort, and deciding whether this school makes sense for their major. Your role is the household money, the dates, the documents, and asking the questions this report cannot answer: how much will we really pay, which credits will be recognized, what is available for Latino students today, what support exists so they do not get left behind.
Put this piece together with what your child wants to study, what they have already built, and what your family can and is willing to pay. From that combination, and not from a single number, comes a real plan.
Source: institutional data reported by Flagler College to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022–23 and 2023–24 cycles, with Carnegie classifications from 2019–21. Best College Aid does not represent Flagler College or the U.S. government; this article organizes public information to help you understand it.