What Palm Beach State College does

Palm Beach State College (PBSC) is a public community college founded in 1933 and headquartered at 4200 Congress Avenue in Lake Worth, Florida, operating under the Florida College System as a state-governed institution. It serves a broad student base across Palm Beach County through five campus locations — Lake Worth, Belle Glade (Glades), Palm Beach Gardens, Loxahatchee Groves, and a Foundation office in West Palm Beach — and offers more than 170 academic programs including associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, certificates, dual enrollment, continuing education, and workforce training. The student body draws from 149 countries, and PBSC reports a $1.4 billion annual economic impact on Palm Beach County, trains 85% of the county's first responders, and awards roughly $108 million in student aid annually.

PBSC's core technology stack is built around Canvas as its learning management system, supported by Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, Authenticator), Workday as the student information system, Respondus Lockdown Browser for exam proctoring, and a MyPBSC mobile app (iOS/Android) for student access. Beyond academics, PBSC operates three performing arts venues — the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center (Belle Glade), the Duncan and Stage West Theatres (Lake Worth), and the Eissey Campus Theatre (Palm Beach Gardens) — which function as both instructional facilities and community entertainment venues.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: tuition at $101 per credit hour for Florida residents (~$1,515 per full-time semester), state appropriations, federal and state grants (notably ~$5M state + $2M+ federal for the Quantum Innovation Center, $1M+ federal for the AI/Cybersecurity Training Center), corporate training contracts, and philanthropic contributions channeled through the Foundation for Palm Beach State College, Inc. (including a recent $8M commitment from Stephen M. Ross via Related Together). PBSC is currently positioning itself as a regional workforce hub for quantum computing, AI, and cybersecurity, supported by partnerships with D-Wave Quantum, Florida Atlantic University, and the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County.

Name

Palm Beach State College

Legal name

Foundation for Palm Beach State College, Inc.

Website

http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Palm Beach State College is a public state college founded in 1933 in Lake Worth, Florida, serving Palm Beach County across five campuses with 170+ academic programs, three performing arts venues, and emerging technology training centers in quantum computing, AI, and cybersecurity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Community College)

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Workforce training
• Associate degree programs
• Continuing education certificates
• Online higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Worth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and fees based on credit hour enrollment. Florida residents pay $101.00 per credit hour, with full-time students (15 credits) paying approximately $1,515 per semester.
2. State Funding and Grants: State appropriations and federal grant funding for workforce development, quantum technology training, and cybersecurity programs. Recent grants include $5M state allocation for quantum innovation center and federal funding for AI/cybersecurity training.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Foundation receives donations and grants including the $8M Stephen M. Ross Emerging Scholars commitment through Related Together, and other scholarship funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Palm Beach State College is a public community college delivering associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, certificates, dual enrollment, continuing education, and workforce training programs to students across Palm Beach County, Florida. The college supplements instruction with community-facing performing arts programming through three on-campus theatres. Core delivery spans in-person, online, and hybrid modalities powered by the Canvas LMS and supported by career pathway advising and student services.

Product overview

Palm Beach State College is a public state college offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and community services. The college provides academic programs through its main website (pbsc.edu) and the MyPBSC student portal and mobile app, which serve as the primary digital access points for over 170 academic programs including associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificates. The college also operates three distinctive theatre venues — the Duncan Theatre at Lake Worth, the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade, and the Eissey Campus Theatre in Palm Beach Gardens — which serve as both instructional facilities and community entertainment venues. In recent years, the college has expanded into workforce technology training, launching an AI and Cybersecurity Training Center (the first cyber range in Palm Beach County) and a Quantum Innovation Center (with an incubator for quantum startups), supported by over $3 million in combined federal and state funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate Degree Programs Two-year academic degree programs spanning arts, business, education, health sciences, industry/manufacturing, public safety, and STEM pathways, designed for students seeking to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution.
• Bachelor's Degree Programs Four-year undergraduate degree programs offered through PBSC, providing students in Palm Beach County a local option to complete a bachelor's degree without transferring out of the region.
• Certificate Programs Short-duration, career-focused credential programs that prepare students for specific occupations, supplementing degree pathways and serving workforce upskilling needs.
• Dual Enrollment Program Partnership program allowing eligible high school students to enroll in PBSC courses and earn college credit prior to graduation, distributed through agreements with area high schools.
• Continuing Education and Workforce Training Non-credit and short-format courses providing professional development, licensure preparation, and skill refreshers for adult learners and incumbent workers not pursuing a traditional degree.
• Corporate Education & Training Solutions Customized training engagements sold to local employers and public agencies, tailoring PBSC's instructional capacity to specific workforce needs in areas including public safety, healthcare, and technology.
• Online Education (PBSC Online) Distance learning modality delivering PBSC degree and certificate coursework online through the Canvas learning management system for students who cannot attend on-campus classes.
• AI and Cybersecurity Training Program Specialized workforce training program delivered from the AI and Cybersecurity Training Center at the Lake Worth campus, providing hands-on instruction in AI for IT security, IoT security, and data privacy to address regional employer demand for cybersecurity talent.
• Quantum Innovation Center Program Workforce training and industry collaboration program housed at the Quantum Innovation Center, offering education and research in quantum computing, cloud services, and AI plus a startup incubator; intended to train nearly 1,000 students over the next decade.
• Duncan Theatre Performances Live performing arts presentations, including the Professional Guest Artist Series, hosted at the Duncan Theatre on the Lake Worth campus and sold via subscription and individual tickets through the box office.
• Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Performances Ticketed cultural and entertainment performances presented at the 467-seat Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center on the Belle Glade campus, including school outreach shows through the CAFE program serving Glades-area schools.
• Eissey Campus Theatre Performances Professional guest artist performance series hosted at the Eissey Campus Theatre on the Palm Beach Gardens campus, sold through the box office and accessed via subscriptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.4 billion annual economic impact on Palm Beach County
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Julie and John KimeminorOthers · 19 May 2026Philanthropists being honored with naming of the new Dental and Health Innovation Building at Loxahatchee Groves campus. Previously supported the Julie and John Kime Library Learning Resource Center that opened in 2022.
• Business Development Board of Palm Beach CountyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026Collaborative partnership for quantum technology workforce development. The BDB received $1.031 million in federal funding and PBSC received over $2 million to establish the Quantum Innovation Center, working together to position Palm Beach County as an emerging quantum hub.
• D-Wave Quantum Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026D-Wave relocated its headquarters to Boca Raton, contributing to the regional quantum ecosystem that PBSC's workforce training programs support. The company's presence validates the strategy of training quantum workforce to attract technology companies.
• Florida Atlantic UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026FAU's $20 million acquisition of a D-Wave quantum computer complements the regional quantum infrastructure. PBSC's training programs support the talent pipeline for companies like FAU and D-Wave.
• U.S. Representative Lois FrankelminorOthers · 19 February 2026Secured the $1.031 million federal grant for the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County to advance workforce development and regional coordination in quantum technologies.
• Cultural Council of Palm Beach CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeason sponsor for PBSC theatre programs, providing funding support for cultural arts programming across all three theatre venues.
• Palm Beach County CommissionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for PBSC theatre programs through Tourist Development Council funding.
• Tourist Development CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides funding support for PBSC theatre programming and cultural arts events.
• Missoula Children's TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual week-long residency program where local children grades K-12 audition for roles and present a fully-choreographed musical production. Partnership with Glades Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daytona State College: Public state college in Central Florida offering associate and bachelor's degrees with workforce and technical training programs under the same Florida College System governance structure.
• Seminole State College of Florida: Public state college in Central Florida offering associate and bachelor's degrees with strong workforce and STEM program offerings, operating under the same Florida College System governance as PBSC.
• Florida State College at Jacksonville: Public state college in Northeast Florida operating multiple campuses with associate, bachelor's, and workforce certificate programs, governed under the same Florida College System framework as PBSC.
• Valencia College: Public community college in Orlando recognized for its direct-connect transfer program and workforce training, offering associate and bachelor's degrees under similar Florida College System governance.
• Broward College: Public community/state college serving the adjacent Broward County market in South Florida, offering associate and bachelor's degrees with comparable workforce and dual enrollment programs. Most direct geographic and structural peer to PBSC.
• Miami Dade College: Largest public community college in the U.S., serving the broader Miami metropolitan area with associate and bachelor's degrees, workforce training, and similar student demographics. Comparable in mission, scale, and program mix.
• Indian River State College: Public state college on Florida's Treasure Coast, offering associate and bachelor's degrees with workforce training programs including healthcare, technology, and public safety — highly comparable to PBSC's program portfolio.
• Florida SouthWestern State College: Public state college in Southwest Florida offering associate and bachelor's degrees with comparable tuition structure ($100-$120/credit hour for residents) and workforce program mix.
• St. Petersburg College: Large public state college in the Tampa Bay region offering associate, bachelor's, and workforce certificates. Comparable governance structure under the Florida College System with similar tuition and program breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Atlantic University: Public four-year university headquartered in Boca Raton, partnering with PBSC on quantum workforce pipelines. Aspiring to compete in the same emerging-tech training space with its $20M D-Wave quantum computer acquisition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pbstatecollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/pbstatecollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/110386848982763
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/palm-beach-state-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/pbstatecollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Palm Beach State College