Accreditor Names SPC Most Affordable Baccalaureate College

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) named St. Petersburg College the most affordable — and best-value — baccalaureate college among its member institutions. SPC earned the inaugural SACSCOC Torch Award for Affordability.

The award, announced in January, recognizes institutions that demonstrate exceptional leadership in managing educational costs while expanding access and long-term value for students. It also reflects sustained, student-centered decision-making and measurable progress across multiple affordability indicators.

Specifically, SPC demonstrated strength in the following affordability indicators:

• Average net price for low-income students
• 10-year net price trends for low-income students
• Five-year change in total cost of attendance
• Overall cost of attendance

Together, these indicators underscore SPC’s commitment to providing affordable educational pathways while supporting student success across associate and bachelor’s degree programs, workforce training, and transfer pathways.

“We are very proud to serve our community by providing an affordable pathway to high-value associate and bachelor's degrees, as well as articulated transfer pathways to a variety of institutions,” said Matthew Liao-Troth, Vice President of Academic Affairs at SPC. “This recognition reflects our commitment to our students: better jobs, better lives and better communities.”

Torch Awards do not represent institutional rankings. Instead, they recognize leadership and measurable progress across multiple affordability indicators, honoring excellence within the diverse missions and contexts of SACSCOC member institutions. For more information on tuition rates, visit SPC’s tuition and fees webpage.

About SACSCOC

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is an institutional accreditor for quality assurance in higher education. SACSCOC accredits institutions that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees, including those offered via distance and correspondence education, and direct assessment within these institutions. It serves as the common denominator of shared values and practices among its members in the United States and international institutions of higher education approved by the SACSCOC Executive Council, Board of Trustees, and the Appeals Committee of the College Delegate Assembly.