Eckerd will change your life, you can change the world
We are a private liberal arts and sciences college in St. Petersburg, Florida with approximately 1,800 undergraduate students. We emphasize experiential learning, including student research, global education and internships.
We love our 188-acre waterfront campus, nestled along the southern tip of a peninsula surrounded by the waters of Tampa Bay. But we are more than a pretty face. Eckerd is an innovative college where students are well-taught and well-mentored, deemed one of the renowned Colleges That Change Lives.
We guide our students with small classes, faculty-mentors and a commitment to service—setting them up to enter the job market or get into competitive graduate schools for medicine, law, marine science and more.
90% of Eckerd graduates earn their degree in 4 years or fewer.
99% of faculty hold Ph.D.s or the terminal degree in their field
Our campus
An oasis of learning in a natural Florida environment
Our spectacular waterfront and white-sand beach stretches for a mile along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Study in a hammock, sail or sunbathe on our own white-sand beach—just steps away from your residence hall.
Our natural areas are living laboratories for research—even for first-years. Four chickees constructed by the Seminole Tribe of Florida are used for outdoor classes and studying.
We’ve been pet-friendly since 1973.
88% of students live on campus
Read our land acknowledgment
Eckerd College celebrates the beautiful campus it calls home and teaches the importance of environmental stewardship as a core value. An essential part of this commitment is acknowledging the Indigenous communities—past, present, and future—who are the traditional custodians of these lands and waterways.
Eckerd College acknowledges that its campus lies within the traditional homelands of the Seminole and Miccosukee people and their ancestral groups whose history here stretches back more than 12,000 years. We recognize the profound resilience of Seminole, Miccosukee, Choctaw, Cherokee, and other Native peoples who fought bravely to defend their homelands against powerful colonial forces. As a campus community, we commit to learning and teaching Native American history and cultural awareness, recognizing and honoring the presence of Indigenous people, and caring for the land that has become our home to the best of our ability.
Our Community
Making a difference within and without
About 1,800 students study, work and play together on campus every day. But you won’t find any ivory towers here. We aim to engage the world around us including our hometown of St. Petersburg—a spectacular city of arts and outdoor activities.
We gather the Eckerd community, local government, and neighboring organizations create mutually beneficial research, teaching and service opportunities.
St. Petersburg is one of The 15 Happiest Places to Live in the U.S. according to Outside magazine.
St. Petersburg is #2 in Florida for tech jobs according to FinanceBuzz
Our Commitment
Liberal arts in the unique Florida environment
Founded as Florida Presbyterian College, we opened our doors on Sept. 2, 1960, with 155 first-year students and 22 faculty.
We have grown steadily over the years and became Eckerd College in 1972.
But one thing hasn’t changed: a focus on creative, innovative curricula in the liberal arts tradition with a strong emphasis on small classes and world-class faculty who know and care about the success of every student.
