Fort Pierce starting point
with low debt and real options
You're deciding whether to begin at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce before transferring to a four-year Florida university. That decision hinges on cost, transfer momentum, and what the degree ultimately earns you.
~15,400 undergrads, 17% transfer out by year 8, median $38k 10-yr earnings, $8,023 median debt.
A mid-size Fort Pierce CC with solid outcomes but a modest transfer rate
Indian River State College enrolls about 15,400 undergrads in Fort Pierce, Florida — 61% part-time. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 17%, below the national leaders but within the functional range. What stands out is the outcomes picture: median earnings at $38k ten years out, median debt of just $8,023, and a 0% three-year loan default rate. Liberal Arts produces 1,689 completions annually — by far the top program — and Registered Nursing adds 223. In-state tuition is $2,496 and average net price is $3,815. Cost is not an obstacle here, and debt exposure is low.
Indian River State College is a mid-size institution in Fort Pierce, Florida, enrolling about 15,400 undergraduates — 61% of whom attend part-time. That part-time majority shapes everything from completion timelines to academic advising load. The college's dominant program is Liberal Arts and Sciences, with 1,689 completions, a volume that reflects its role as a general transfer-prep feeder in Florida's community college system. Registered Nursing (223 completions) and Information Technology (176) offer occupational tracks with real job-market traction. The eight-year transfer-out rate is 17% — a functional figure, though not exceptional — and the 47% completion rate suggests a majority of students reach credential milestones. Median earnings ten years out are $38k, median debt is $8,023, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. In-state tuition runs $2,496 annually, with a net price of $3,815. For a cost-conscious Florida student, IRSC keeps debt exposure low and leaves the door open to a four-year path.
What this CC teaches at scale
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies. | 1,689 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. | 223 |
| Information Technology. | 176 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | 144 |
| Criminal Justice/Police Science. | 115 |
| Facial Treatment Specialist/Facialist. | 112 |
| Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide. | 100 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management. | 95 |
| Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic). | 87 |
| Fire Science/Fire-fighting. | 86 |
Source · IPEDS completions (all undergraduate credentials).
Where Florida transfers tend to go
Reflects state-aggregated IPEDS transfer-in volume — CC-specific destinations are not publicly available from IPEDS or the College Scorecard.
Frequently asked
- Is Indian River State College a good place to start a bachelor's degree?
- The data makes a reasonable case for it, with some caveats. IRSC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 17% — functional, not exceptional, and worth going in with a clear plan. The cost profile is genuinely favorable: in-state tuition is $2,496 and the average net price is $3,815, so you can complete two years without accumulating serious debt. Median borrower debt is just $8,023, and the three-year loan default rate is 0%. Median earnings ten years out are $38k. The 47% completion rate means nearly half of students reach a credential milestone within eight years. IRSC works best as a starting point if you treat transfer planning as a day-one priority.
- How does Indian River State College's transfer-out rate compare to typical community colleges?
- IRSC's eight-year transfer-out rate is 17%. National benchmarks generally place the average community college transfer rate in the 15–25% range, so IRSC sits near the lower-middle of that band. An additional 1.6% of students were still enrolled at the eight-year mark, and 47% had completed a credential at the college itself. That completion rate is a real positive — it means the majority of students are reaching academic milestones, even if they're not all transferring out. The 61% part-time enrollment share is context worth keeping: students who attend part-time take longer to reach transfer-readiness, which tends to suppress transfer-out rates measured at fixed time horizons.
- What programs does Indian River State College offer at meaningful scale?
- IRSC's highest-volume programs by completions are Liberal Arts and Sciences (1,689), Registered Nursing (223), Information Technology (176), Business Administration and Management (144), and Criminal Justice/Police Science (115). Facial Treatment Specialist (112) and Nursing Assistant/Aide (100) reflect the college's vocational offerings alongside its transfer tracks. Emergency Medical Technology (87) and Fire Science (86) round out a top-ten list that spans health, public safety, and technology. The Liberal Arts volume matters most for transfer-bound students — at nearly 1,700 completions, it is IRSC's core transfer-prep pipeline and the program with the most developed institutional infrastructure.
Methodology — Transfer signals reflect IPEDS Outcome Measures 8-year cohorts; earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard. Destinations are state-aggregated; we do not claim CC-specific transfer destinations without authoritative per-student tracking data.