Public
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Bradenton, Florida
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
3.1Avg GPA
$28,277Annual Cost
$40,318Grad Salary
36.1%Pell Grant
Avg GPA
3.1
Selectivity
Open Enrollment
Institution Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Avg Net Price
$21,433
Need-Based Aid
36.1% receive Pell
State College of Florida serves the Sarasota-Bradenton region. Founded in 1957, SCF features the Lakewood Ranch Campus.
The college excels in nursing and digital media programs. SCF's 'Honors Program' offers enhanced academic opportunities.
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota Acceptance Rate
Admission at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota is inclusive by design: 100% of applicants who meet basic eligibility are accepted.
What to Expect
- Eligibility First: A high school diploma or GED typically clears the main bar.
- Plan Ahead for Placement: Placement tests can shape which courses you start in — worth preparing for.
Selectivity at a Glance
Open Enrollment
Selectivity scale: Open Enrollment — rate not reported
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
A GPA a bit under the average isn't disqualifying at this tier — a solid test score or clear leadership record can offset it.
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.10 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.90 – 3.09
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.65
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota follows a Rolling Admissions policy, meaning applications are reviewed as they arrive and there is no single fixed deadline.
Key Admission Dates
Rolling Admissions — Apply Anytime
SCF reviews applications continuously throughout the year. Seats and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applying early gives you a significant advantage for both admission and financial aid.
Deadlines are verified from official institutional sources but may change each cycle. Always confirm final dates on the official website.
SCF GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at SCF is 3.1. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 2.80–3.1 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Note the scale: this figure reflects an unweighted 4.0 GPA. Add AP or IB coursework and the equivalent weighted GPA usually lands around 3.30–3.50.SCF GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Admission here leans heavily on holistic review.
Recommended Strategy: Leans on context — leadership, personal circumstances, or a standout talent.
This range is a rough map — where you land determines what else needs to carry weight in your application:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.10 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
2.90 – 3.09
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.70 – 2.89
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.69
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Open admission overall with no GPA or test-score requirement for general acceptance; rolling admissions, application opens in October for the following fall.
- FL public high school grads (9th and 12th grade attendance, Standard Diploma) are exempt from placement testing entirely.
- AS Nursing Traditional is a separate $35 limited-enrollment application; TEAS 7 required of all applicants regardless of education level, with differing retest limits by score threshold (3 attempts for 58.7%, 2 attempts for the higher 65% Total+Science tier).
- Signature programs include a Dedicated Education Unit at Manatee Memorial Hospital (consistent clinical placement leading to employment opportunities), Gator Engineering, Weekend College, and SCF Honors.
- Freshman Transition Program lets accepted fall students begin Summer coursework early if admissions steps are completed ahead of schedule.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: Course rigor is read alongside the number itself — a 3.8 with a demanding schedule can beat a 4.0 without one.
- Trajectory Matters: Grades that climb toward graduation tend to matter more than a flat average — the trajectory tells its own story.
Data verified via IPEDS, College Scorecard (Nov 2025) and the Common Data Set (CDS). Expert Review led by Sohaib Khan and Dr. Waseem.
Check Your Admission Chances at SCF
Admission Chance Predictor
Built from State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota's own verified admissions data — adjust the sliders below
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Calculating Profile...
Adjust the sliders to see how every decimal point affects your outcome.
Your SAT Score 1200
Your Unweighted GPA 3.00
⚠️ Note: Predicting based on regional averages as this institution does not publicly report full score datasets.
Calculated via College Portal's Human-Intelligence (HI) Methodology & Editorial Standards. Verified by Sohaib Ahmad Khan.
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) Test Requirements
Scores aren't just a formality at SCF — landing within or above the 2026 admitted class's middle 50% keeps you fully competitive, even where submission is optional.
Can I Get Into SCF Without SAT or ACT?
SCF's test-score policy isn't published. As a default, submit your score only if it's at or above the state/national average — a below-average score can work against you.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for SCF
Inclusive Strategy: Success & Transfer
Getting into SCF is the easy part — what matters next is using placement testing, advising, and available resources to set up a strong first year.
Check whether you qualify for the PERT placement exemption before assuming you need to test
If you attended a Florida public high school for both 9th and 12th grade and will graduate (or graduated) with a Standard Diploma, SCF places you directly into college-level Math and English with no test scores required at all. If you don't meet that specific two-endpoint residency pattern - including students who transferred into a Florida public school mid-way or attended private/out-of-state school - you'll need SAT/ACT scores from within the last two years or must sit for the PERT. Confirm your eligibility category before assuming either path applies to you.
Apply in October and finish by April to align with SCF's real (if informal) rhythm
SCF has no hard application deadline and is rolling, but the Fall application opens in October and the college recommends completing the full admissions process by April for fall registration, which opens for the full semester April?August. Completing early also opens the door to the Freshman Transition Program, letting accepted fall students start taking Summer classes ahead of their official first semester - a real head start that late applicants miss by default, not by exclusion.
Match your TEAS retest strategy to the score threshold you're actually targeting
SCF's nursing TEAS rules split by score tier: applicants aiming for the 58.7% TEAS Total threshold get three attempts within a calendar year with a mandatory 30-day wait between attempts, but applicants needing the higher 65% Total-and-Science threshold get only two attempts. Know which threshold your target ranking realistically requires before you burn an attempt - chasing 65% with only two tries demands more prep upfront than the more forgiving 58.7% track.
Treat your SCF student email as the only nursing-application channel that exists
Once you submit the nursing application, all conditional acceptance, denial, or additional-document requests are sent exclusively to your SCF student email - explicitly with no exceptions for students who didn't check it. Set up email forwarding or a calendar reminder to check this account multiple times a week during application review periods; missing one message can cost a seat even after clearing every TEAS and GPA threshold.
Expert Insight:
The recurring SCF mistake is treating the AS Nursing Traditional program like the college's general open admission. It's a separate, $35 non-refundable limited-enrollment application with its own ranking formula - a combination of completed ASN gen-ed courses, TEAS score, prerequisite-only GPA (averaging just 4 courses, not your full transcript), and overall program GPA. Completing your prerequisites does not guarantee a seat if more qualified applicants apply than there are spots.
SCF Profile
Full Name
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota (SCF)
City
Bradenton
State
Florida
ZIP Code
34207
Type
Public
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a SCF Degree Worth It?
Whether SCF is worth it depends less on its reputation and more on your program choice, financial aid package, and career goals — here's the data to weigh it against.
Admitted students' families report a median household income around $54,700, and graduates see a 2.16% unemployment rate.
How much does a degree from SCF Cost?
Listed tuition runs $28,277/year at SCF; factor in Pell and federal grant aid and most students land closer to $21,433.
At SCF, 36.1% receive a Pell Grant and 9.3% carry federal loans. Filing FAFSA early and naming SCF on it improves your shot at both.
How much does a SCF Graduate earn?
Ten years out from enrollment, SCF graduates report a median income of $40,318, somewhat below the U.S. median graduate income of $40,595.
Degree Programs at SCF
Bachelor Degree Programs
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About SCF Admissions
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota graduates earn a lower median salary of $40,318/year, especially outside technical fields.
Tuition at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota is relatively affordable, around $28,277/year.
36.1% of State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota students get a Pell Grant. Your odds depend mostly on household income — filing FAFSA early still helps maximize what you're offered.
The average GPA of admitted State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota students is 3.1, reflecting a competitive applicant pool.
There's no strict cutoff, but a GPA at or above 2.8 puts you in the standard applicant pool at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota. Below that, your essays and recommendations need to work harder to provide context.
A GPA of 2.7 or below makes admission tougher at State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota, but strong test scores, activities, and essays — plus AP/IB coursework — can still keep you in contention.
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota charges an application fee of 20; ask admissions about waiver eligibility if cost is a barrier.
Transferring in is a well-trodden path here. Line up your transcripts, recommendations, and a strong personal statement before applying.
The biggest levers are academic performance, a clear extracurricular focus, and essays that stand out — plus a solid test score where the school considers one.