Non-Profit Private
Accredited · Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Leesburg, Florida
60.4% Acceptance Rate
Beacon College — Admission Snapshot 2026
A complete at-a-glance picture of every metric that matters for your 2026 application
60.4%Acceptance Rate
3.2Avg GPA
$68,815Annual Cost
$29,420Grad Salary
26%Pell Grant
Acceptance Rate
60.4%
Avg GPA
3.2
Selectivity
Somewhat Selective
Institution Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
SAT Middle 50%
-40–30
Need-Based Aid
26% receive Pell
Beacon College Beacon College, founded in 1989 in Leesburg, Florida, is the first accredited institution specializing in bachelor's degrees for students with learning differences. The small campus offers personalized programs in humanities, business, and sciences tailored to students with ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning challenges. Beacon maintains a 6:1 student-faculty ratio with comprehensive academic support services. The college is particularly known for its innovative teaching methods and Universal Design for Learning approach across all programs.
Beacon takes pride in its transformative educational model that helps students understand their learning profiles while developing academic and life skills. Campus life emphasizes community building and outdoor activities in Florida's beautiful setting. Recent additions include the new Student Center and expanded STEM labs. Beacon's specialized mission and proven success with neurodiverse learners make it a unique and valuable option in higher education.
Beacon College Acceptance Rate
Beacon College is moderately selective — 60.4% of applicants are admitted — with room for a well-rounded, if imperfect, transcript.
What Beacon College Admissions Looks For
- Whole-Person Review: Personal circumstances and career goals are weighed alongside grades.
- Flexible on GPA: Strong extracurriculars or work experience can offset an average transcript.
Selectivity at a Glance
Somewhat Selective
Selectivity scale: Somewhat Selective — 60.4% acceptance rate
Most Selective (0%)Open Enrollment (100%)
Recommended Academic Profile
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.20 – 4.00
Target Match
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.00 – 3.19
Competitive Reach
Focus on Score Compensation
Below 2.75
Secondary Reach
Requires Contextual Support
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard (Nov 2025).
Beacon College Application Deadlines & Admission Dates 2026
Beacon College 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
Beacon College 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.
Beacon College GPA Requirement
The average GPA of admitted students at Beacon College is 3.2. That makes admissions here competitive, but not extremely selective. Most admitted students carry a mix of A's and B's.
In the 2.90–3.2 range, a high SAT or ACT score still carries real weight.
Most schools report GPA on a weighted or unweighted 4.0 scale differently — for an unweighted profile like this, students with AP/IB coursework typically carry a weighted GPA of 3.40–3.60.Beacon College GPA & Admission Outlook
Assessment: Holistic review is critical for admission.
Recommended Strategy: Requires Contextual Factors (Leadership, hardship, or talent).
Where your GPA falls in this range shapes what the rest of your application needs to do:
Candidate GPA Range
Admission Category
Strategic Requirement
3.20 – 4.00
Strategic Reach
Maintain Rigor & High Testing
3.00 – 3.19
Competitive Match
Focus on SAT/ACT Compensation
2.80 – 2.99
Secondary Reach
Personal Statement & Impact
Below 2.79
Institutional Reach
Requires Significant Contextual Factors
Evaluation Metrics That Matter Here
- Beacon requires a psycho-educational evaluation (less than 3 years old) documenting a specific learning disability and/or ADHD, including a cognitive assessment from a licensed/certified psychologist - this is central to admission, not supplementary.
- A standard high school diploma or GED is required; a special diploma or certificate of attendance is explicitly not accepted.
- Priority application deadlines are May 1 (fall) and December 1 (spring), with space-available processing after; a personal interview (on campus, phone, or video) and instructor/counselor recommendations are required.
- Florida residents with disabilities may access the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA) via Step Up for Students - a separate state application process from Beacon's own admissions and aid.
- Rigor Over Raw Number: A slightly lower GPA (say 3.8) paired with multiple AP or IB courses often outweighs a flat 4.0 from a standard curriculum.
- Trajectory Matters: A lower start in 9th or 10th grade, followed by a clear upward trend senior year, reads as academic resilience rather than a weakness.
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 Beacon College
Admission Chance Predictor
Real-Time Sensitive Analysis — based on Beacon College's verified institutional data
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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.
Beacon College Test Requirements
Standardized scores still matter here: aim for the middle 50% range of the 2026 admitted class below, and if Beacon College is test-optional, a high score submitted voluntarily still helps with merit scholarships.
Can I Get Into Beacon College Without SAT or ACT?
Beacon College neither requires nor recommends test scores. Submit yours only if it's above the state or national average — otherwise, leaving it off works in your favor.
Your 2026 Admissions Roadmap for Beacon College
Accessible Strategy: Academic Foundation
Beacon College takes a broad view of applicants. Your energy is best spent proving readiness for coursework and maximizing your financial aid package.
Get your psycho-educational evaluation dated correctly before you apply
Beacon requires a psycho-educational evaluation providing clear evidence of a specific learning disability and/or ADHD, and the report must be less than three years old with a cognitive assessment from a licensed psychologist, neuropsychologist, school psychologist, or certified school psychologist. If your most recent evaluation is aging toward that three-year mark, schedule a re-evaluation now rather than during application season - a stale report is a hard documentation gap here, not a minor paperwork issue, since it's the core evidence the admissions committee evaluates alongside your transcript.
Bring a standard diploma or GED - a certificate of attendance will not work
Beacon explicitly states that a special high school diploma or a certificate of attendance is not acceptable for admission - only a standard high school diploma or GED qualifies. If your current IEP or transition plan has you on track for a certificate of attendance rather than a standard diploma, talk to your school's special education coordinator now about which diploma track you're actually on, since this is a hard eligibility line that heavy SAT/ACT scores or a strong interview cannot offset.
Hit the May 1 / December 1 priority deadlines, especially if you need interview scheduling flexibility
Beacon runs rolling admissions with priority deadlines of May 1 for fall and December 1 for spring; applications after that are processed space-available. Because the process includes a required personal interview (available on campus, by phone, or by video) alongside instructor/counselor recommendations, apply well before the priority deadline so there's room to schedule the interview and gather recommendation letters from people who know your specific learning profile, not just generic teacher references.
Florida families: apply through Step Up for Students in parallel with the college application
Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities (FES-UA), accessed through the Step Up for Students program, can cover Beacon costs for eligible Florida students with disabilities - but it requires its own separate state-level application process (roughly 112,000 students applied for FES-UA scholarships in 2025) distinct from Beacon's own admissions and financial aid. A Florida-resident applicant should start the Step Up for Students application on its own timeline rather than assuming Beacon's admissions office handles this automatically.
Expert Insight:
Because Beacon evaluates candidates holistically and doesn't place heavy emphasis on SAT/ACT scores, families sometimes underestimate how central the psycho-educational evaluation and diploma-type documentation actually are - these two items function as hard eligibility gates in a way test scores don't at Beacon, so gathering an unexpired, properly-scoped evaluation and confirming standard-diploma status matters more here than polishing a personal statement.
Beacon College Profile
Full Name
Beacon College
City
Leesburg
State
Florida
ZIP Code
34748
Type
Non-Profit Private
Campus
Main Campus
Official Website
Accredited By
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCC)
Is a Beacon College Degree Worth It?
Whether Beacon College 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.
The average household income among admitted students is $77,800, with a graduate unemployment rate of 3.3%.
How much does a degree from Beacon College Cost?
The sticker price is $68,815/year, but the average net price students actually pay — after Pell and federal grants — is typically much lower.
26% of students receive a Pell Grant and 40.3% take federal loans at Beacon College — file your FAFSA early and list Beacon College as a choice to be considered for both.
How much does a Beacon College Graduate earn?
Median earnings 10 years after enrollment (roughly 4–6 years post-graduation) are $29,420 — somewhat below the U.S. median graduate income of $40,595.
Degree Programs at Beacon College
Bachelor Degree Programs
Associate Degree Programs
Frequently Asked Questions About Beacon College Admissions
Median earnings for Beacon College graduates sit around $29,420 a year.
At about $68,815 a year, Beacon College's cost is on the higher end; look closely at aid options.
About 26.0% receive a Pell Grant at Beacon College — moderate odds, largely income-dependent, but an early FAFSA filing still helps.
At 60.4%, Beacon College's acceptance rate is on the more attainable end compared to top-tier selective schools.
Admitted students at Beacon College average a 3.2 GPA.
Beacon College doesn't publish a hard GPA floor — but landing at or above 2.9 keeps you in the typical applicant range; below it, lean on essays and recommendations.
Below 2.8, Beacon College becomes a harder reach — though a strong test score, meaningful activities, and AP/IB coursework can still make a real case.
Beacon College follows Rolling Admissions — applications are reviewed year-round, so applying early is your best strategy.
The application fee is 50. Fee waivers may be available — check with admissions.
Yes — transfers are common. Have transcripts, recommendation letters, and a solid personal statement ready to make your case.
Strong academics, a focused extracurricular profile, and standout essays move the needle most — along with a competitive SAT/ACT score where relevant.