The student population at Polk State College is 10,318 (all undergraduate). The number of students has decreased by 339 (3.18%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 9,956 where 10,318 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 3 year-over-year increases and 6 decreases. It peaked at 11,364 students in 2017 and was lowest at 7,963 in 2024. Overall, enrollment dropped from 10,657 to 10,318 students, a net loss of 339 (3.2%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Polk State College since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 10,657 | 3,972 | 6,685 |
| 2016-17 | 11,364 707 | 4,197 225 | 7,167 482 |
| 2017-18 | 10,659 -705 | 3,937 -260 | 6,722 -445 |
| 2018-19 | 10,591 -68 | 3,686 -251 | 6,905 183 |
| 2019-20 | 10,827 236 | 3,738 52 | 7,089 184 |
| 2020-21 | 9,961 -866 | 3,304 -434 | 6,657 -432 |
| 2021-22 | 9,044 -917 | 3,111 -193 | 5,933 -724 |
| 2022-23 | 8,180 -864 | 2,811 -300 | 5,369 -564 |
| 2023-24 | 7,963 -217 | 2,766 -45 | 5,197 -172 |
| 2024-25 | 10,318 2,355 | 3,687 921 | 6,631 1,434 |
| Average | 9,956 | 3,521 | 6,436 |
The percentage of white students is 21.22% and the percentage of black students is 8.43% at Polk State College. 1.25% of enrolled students is Asian. Hispanic students comprise 28.44% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 54.26% to 21.22%. Asian enrollment declined from 2.42% to 1.25%. Black student enrollment decreased from 16.06% to 8.43%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 19.68% to 28.44%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.8665 which indicates that highly diverse. This increased from 0.6399 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Polk State College over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 14 | 258 | 1,711 | 2,097 | 7 | 5,782 | 267 |
| 2016-17 | 23 | 258 | 1,826 | 2,387 | 8 | 6,003 | 323 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | 252 | 1,668 | 2,382 | 9 | 5,544 | 341 |
| 2018-19 | 29 | 260 | 1,686 | 2,517 | 12 | 5,352 | 367 |
| 2019-20 | 26 | 281 | 1,761 | 2,793 | 15 | 5,233 | 447 |
| 2020-21 | 27 | 259 | 1,606 | 2,598 | 25 | 4,854 | 383 |
| 2021-22 | 25 | 277 | 1,444 | 2,490 | 31 | 4,213 | 362 |
| 2022-23 | 18 | 265 | 1,368 | 2,296 | 18 | 3,711 | 298 |
| 2023-24 | 17 | 250 | 1,387 | 2,367 | 15 | 3,381 | 306 |
| 2024-25 | 8 | 129 | 870 | 2,934 | 7 | 2,189 | 203 |
| Average | 21 | 249 | 1,533 | 2,486 | 15 | 4,626 | 330 |
4,120 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 40% of total students. The number of online students has increased 180.46% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Polk State College from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Total Enrollment | Online Completely | Enrolled in Some Online Courses | Not Enrolled in Online Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 10,657 | 1,469 | 2,453 | 6,735 |
| 2016-17 | 11,364 | 1,803 | 2,595 | 6,966 |
| 2017-18 | 10,659 | 1,659 | 2,699 | 6,301 |
| 2018-19 | 10,591 | 1,938 | 2,839 | 5,814 |
| 2019-20 | 10,827 | 2,218 | 3,231 | 5,378 |
| 2020-21 | 9,961 | 7,599 | 1,327 | 1,035 |
| 2021-22 | 9,044 | 4,692 | 2,495 | 1,857 |
| 2022-23 | 8,180 | 3,334 | 2,863 | 1,983 |
| 2023-24 | 7,963 | 3,276 | 2,565 | 2,122 |
| 2024-25 | 10,318 | 4,120 | 3,985 | 2,213 |
| Average | 9,956 | 3,211 | 2,705 | 4,040 |
Share your experiences and thoughts about Polk State College. It will be a great help to applicants and prospective students!