Sun, sand and self-expression
If there is a paradise, this might just be it.
Nestled in Tampa Bay between two of the country’s best beaches, Eckerd’s 188-acre waterfront campus offers mangrove thickets, seven freshwater marshes and ponds, a white-sand beach and its own boathouse and marina. Did we mention the Bay is one of Florida’s largest open water estuaries, home to marine mammals and 200 species of fish?
The annual Kon Tiki raft race requires you and your team to build a raft out of cardboard, duct tape and PVC pipe—then race it on Boca Ciega Bay.
A sun-drenched campus like no other
Our students are smart, active and open to new people and experiences. Want an advance peek? Join us for an upcoming visit day or take a virtual tour now. Or a video tour.
Housing and pet life
Your housing options range from traditional rooms to apartment-style suites with incredible views of Boca Ciega Bay. Feathered, scaly and furry friends are welcome across our pet-friendly campus!
Taking time to play
It’s as easy as stepping outside
Bring 1,950 students together in one place and what do you get? Nonstop activity. From sailing and speed dating to intercollegiate basketball games and performances by our very own improv troupe, Another Man’s Trash, there’s something for everyone.
Want to get away? Catch a campus shuttle to Eckerd Day at the Dali Museum, Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens or the grocery store, mall or Saturday Morning Market downtown. Need to go solo? Check out a white bike to pedal over to our local gulf beaches.
So many choices
Students oversee a half-million-dollar budget that funds everything from our award-winning student newspaper to concerts and Spring Break Service Trips.
Waterfront
Check out the Waterfront for BBQs, sailing classes and water recreation in Frenchman’s Creek.
Athletics
Our NCAA Division II athletes compete in eight women’s and five men’s sports, including Sailing (coed, women) and Sand Volleyball (women).
Making time to study
Study spots abound both in and out of doors
Thanks to an average 361 days of sunshine each year, many students study outside. The entire campus has wi-fi, from the Pub patio to the quad to the hammocks on South Beach, so find a shady spot and hit the books.
Prefer a regular desk and soft chair? Pull up a sofa in the new James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences or reserve a study room in Armacost Library.
Hunker down
Popular campus study spots include hammocks on South Beach, the library‘s sun room, Starbucks® and the Seminole chickees. Photo: Penh Alicandro ’22
Volunteering & Work
Roll up your sleeves
Every year, Eckerd students donate thousands of hours of service a year to needy projects in Florida and around the country.
We have a soft spot for the environment, so you’ll find coastal cleanup projects, sea turtle watches and community gardening among our list of service options. Eckerd staff and professors are often there right alongside students.
Environmental service
Students collaborate with faculty, nonprofit organizations, food service networks, local schools and other agencies to support environmental engagement.
