Palm Beach Atlantic University

Private · Moderately Selective · FL

Photo: Ccasey11 (CC BY 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationFL · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads2,603

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate46.5%

6-yr grad rate55.3%

Drop-out rate32%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$41k

Out-of-state tuition$41k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity41.6%

Gender diversity66.6%

International5%

IdentityInterdenominational

Overview

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a Christian university occupying a compact urban campus in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida, across the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach island. It combines an evangelical, interdenominational faith identity with a professional-degree orientation, drawing students who want both a defined faith community and a practical career track.

Academics

Pharmacy is the university's standout professional program, and ministry and theology programs benefit from the school's explicit Christian mission. Business is another core strength, often paired with the university's downtown location and access to South Florida's business community for internships.

Campus & student life

The waterfront, downtown setting is unusual for a small Christian university — students are minutes from the beach and from West Palm Beach's restaurant and arts scene rather than on an isolated suburban campus. Workship, the university's required community-service program, is a defining feature of student life, built into graduation requirements rather than offered as an optional extracurricular.

Getting in

The application process weighs Christian faith commitment and church involvement alongside academics, similar to other evangelical universities, though it is not as doctrinally narrow as some. Pharmacy admission is considerably more competitive and sequential than general undergraduate admission.

Worth knowing

The Workship service requirement is genuinely built into every student's schedule, not a light-touch add-on, and the university's faith culture — chapel, Bible coursework — is a real, expected part of campus life that prospective students should weigh.

pba.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate82%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 950–1220 · ACT 18–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying