Best Financial Planning Schools Near Fort Walton Beach, FL

Fort Walton Beach, Florida is home to about 20,956 residents. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area, the top-earning financial planning-related role is Financial Managers at a median $145,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Financial Planning Schools to Fort Walton Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer financial planning programs near Fort Walton Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fort Walton Beach city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Fort Walton Beach. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 301.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL 304.8 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,343
Avg net price $10,154/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida financial planning page.


Financial Planning Wages Near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Personal Financial Advisors $82,420 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $84,969
Financial Managers $145,810 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $150,320
Financial and Investment Analysts $101,670 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $104,814
Accountants and Auditors $79,510 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $81,969
Financial Examiners $76,230 FL statewide $78,588
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents $60,280 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $62,144
Loan Officers $62,890 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $64,835
Credit Counselors $46,300 FL statewide $47,732

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Fort Walton Beach at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 20,956 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,556 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Financial Planning Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying financial planning roles near Fort Walton Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying financial planning-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Financial Managers ($145,810), Financial and Investment Analysts ($101,670), Personal Financial Advisors ($82,420). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?

Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach and has its own set of local financial planning programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study financial planning?

Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Financial Planning Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Walton Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:

Data verified: September 7, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.