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Polk State College

Winter Haven, Florida · Public college

EMT & paramedic trainingRadiology & sonography programsMedical assistant programsMedical billing & coding programsAviation maintenance (A&P) schools
not reportedcompletion rate · Florida avg 71%
$10,076median debt of graduates
$35,602median earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$40,624median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
not reportedannual cost of attendance
Yesfederal aid (FAFSA / Pell) eligible
Accreditation: Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing | American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy | American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Edu | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (Accredited)
Address: 999 Avenue H NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881 · Phone: (863) 297-1000 · School website ↗ · Verify on College Scorecard ↗
Accountability record (federal accreditation database, last 36 months; Department of Education oversight)
No accreditor sanctions in the last 36 months
Sanctions are probation, warning, show-cause and loss-of-accreditation actions by any recognized accreditor, including program-specific accreditors (a nursing-program probation counts for the campus). Routine monitoring reviews and voluntary withdrawals are not counted. Ask the school what the action concerned and how it was resolved.

Polk State College is a public trade school in Winter Haven, Florida, offering EMT training, radiology programs, and medical assistant programs, accredited by SACS.

Per the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, median graduate debt is $10,076 and median earnings 10 years after entry are $40,624; the campus completion rate is not reported.

Cost of attendance is not reported in federal data for Polk State College; contact the school for current tuition. Federal financial aid, including Pell Grants, can be used, and 31.7% of students receive Pell.

What these trades pay once you're working

OccupationStarting (10th pct)MedianExperienced (75th)
Emergency medical technicians$34,120$39,870$47,000
Radiologic technologists and technicians$51,390$76,750$82,650
Medical assistants$35,880$43,680$46,800
Medical records specialists$36,330$45,760$59,230
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians$45,500$76,940$97,430

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wages for everyone employed in the occupation in Florida (May 2025; national where the state figure is not published). The program table below shows what this campus's own graduates earned in their first year, whatever job they took.

Trade programs at this campus

ProgramCredentialGrads / yrEarnings, yr 1Earnings, yr 2Median debt
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate, 300–899 hours 23 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate degree 16 $47,233 $41,007 $10,750
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate degree 13 $39,742 $48,198 $13,000
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate degree 12 $47,233 $41,007 $10,750
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Certificate, 1–2 years 7 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate degree 7 $47,233 $41,007 $10,750
Health and Medical Administrative Services Certificate, 1–2 years 7 not reported not reported not reported
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services Associate degree 5 $39,742 $48,198 $13,000
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate degree 2 not reported not reported not reported

Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.

Graduates per year from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey. Earnings and debt are College Scorecard field-of-study medians for graduates of this program at this campus (reported at the 4-digit program level, so closely related programs share a figure); "not reported" means too few graduates were counted to publish a figure.

Visit the school's website ↗

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About this school

Polk State College is a public trade and career school in Winter Haven, Florida, located in a small-city setting. The campus participates in federal financial aid (Title IV), so students can use FAFSA, federal loans, and Pell Grants to help pay for programs here. It carries accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, along with program-specific accreditors including the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, the American Occupational Therapy Association/Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, and the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. The school awards training across nine program families, most heavily in EMT & paramedic training, radiology & sonography programs, and medical assistant programs.

On outcomes, federal data show 92 trade completers among an undergraduate enrollment of 7,180. The state average completion rate is 70.5%, but Polk State's own completion rate and its comparison to that state average are not reported for this campus in federal data. Median debt among graduates is $10,076, and median earnings 10 years after entry are $40,624. About 31.7% of students receive Pell Grants, indicating a meaningful share of lower-income enrollment. Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data.

This campus may suit students interested in short, credential-focused entry into healthcare and technical fields such as EMT work, radiology, or medical assisting, though exact program lengths are not reported here and should be confirmed directly with the school. Career changers should verify accreditation status and current outcomes through the school's accreditors listed above and the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard before enrolling.

Questions students ask

What trade and career programs does this campus offer?

Polk State College offers nine program families, most notably EMT & paramedic training, radiology & sonography programs, and medical assistant programs.

Is this school accredited, and by whom?

Yes, the school is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, along with program-specific accreditors including the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and bodies overseeing occupational and physical therapy education.

Can I use federal financial aid (FAFSA, Pell Grants) at this school?

Yes, this school participates in Title IV federal financial aid, so FAFSA, federal loans, and Pell Grants can be used.

What share of students finish their program here, and how does that compare to the state?

The campus completion rate and its comparison to the state average are not reported for this campus in federal data; the state average completion rate is 70.5%.

How much debt do graduates of this school typically carry?

Median debt among graduates is $10,076, per the College Scorecard.

What do graduates of this school earn?

Median earnings 10 years after entry are $40,624, per the College Scorecard.

How much does it cost to attend for a year?

Annual cost of attendance is not reported for this campus in federal data; contact the school directly at (863) 297-1000 or visit polk.edu for current tuition.

Is this a public, non-profit, or for-profit school, and why does that matter?

Polk State College is a public institution, which often means lower published tuition rates for state residents compared to private for-profit schools.

How long do the programs here take to complete?

Program lengths are not reported in the available data; contact the school to confirm schedules for specific programs like EMT training or radiology.

How do I verify this school's accreditation and outcomes myself?

You can verify accreditation through the listed accreditors and check federal outcome data at the College Scorecard link: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?136516.

What license or certification will I need after finishing a program here?

Specific licensing or certification requirements after program completion are not reported in this data; contact the school to learn what credentials, such as EMT certification, apply to each program.

How do I contact the school or apply?

You can reach Polk State College at (863) 297-1000 or through its website, https://www.polk.edu/.

Data: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026. Figures are the U.S. Department of Education's official measures, not Career Training Path's opinion. Tuition, schedules and program availability change — confirm with the school before enrolling.

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