Polk Times

White students were the most represented ethnicity among students at Polk County universities in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Of the 24,225 students attending institutions in the county at the time, 51.3% were white. This is a decrease of 0.4% in enrollment numbers, compared to the previous year.

Hispanic students comprised the second largest ethnic group in the county, followed by Black or African American students.

Countywide, the number of undergraduates attending the 11 universities in the county during the 2022-23 school year grew by 1.2%. Southeastern University reported the largest student body, with 8,840 students.

Graduation rates reveal a significant achievement gap among different ethnicities. While white students graduate at a rate of 62.1%, Black and Hispanic students graduate at a rate of around 40%.

Ethnic Group	% of Total Student Body
White	51.3%
Hispanic	23.7%
Black or African American	14.4%
Multiracial	3.7%
Asian	2.3%
U.S. nonresident	1.8%
Unknown	1.7%
American Indian or Alaskan Native	0.5%