Florida vs. Florida State vs. Miami vs. USF Main Campus

Should I go to University of Florida or Florida State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Florida or Florida State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Florida vs. Florida State University vs. University of Miami vs. University of South Florida Main Campus comparison
University of Florida Florida State University University of Miami University of South Florida Main Campus
University of Florida Florida State University University of Miami University of South Florida Main Campus
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Overview

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Location Gainesville, FL Tallahassee, FL Coral Gables, FL Tampa, FL
Setting Midsize City Midsize City Large Suburban Large City
Enrollment 54,814 43,234 19,593 48,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #74 #199 #51 #413
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website ufl.edu fsu.edu miami.edu usf.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $4,477 $4,022 $58,104 $4,559
Tuition (Out of State) $25,694 $16,540 $58,104 $15,473
Room & Board $11,500 $12,740 $21,580 $13,595
Avg Net Price $11,521 $14,903 $41,028 $11,578
Avg Grant Aid $10,724 $8,731 $36,720 $10,012
% Receiving Grant Aid 88% 86% 77% 81%

Admission

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Applied 65,375 74,038 48,286 65,187
Admitted 15,707 18,793 8,940 26,699
Acceptance Rate 24% 25.4% 18.5% 55.3%
Enrolled % 43.1% 31.3% 26% 64.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.64
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- B+
Admissions Standards Exceptional Very High Exceptional Difficult
Applicant Competition Very High High Very High Low
ACT Range 28/33 27/31 30/33 24/29
SAT Range 1300/1480 1240/1390 1330/1470 1140/1330
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Mar 1, 2026 Mar 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 May 1, 2026

Academics

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 17:1 11:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Business (47%)
  • Social Sciences (37%)
  • Biology (23%)
  • Psychology (20%)
  • Education (17%)

Outcomes

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Graduation Rate 84% 74% 78% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,600 $51,400 $70,200 $46,500
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 63% 75% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,815 $20,750 $19,846 $19,147
Median Loan Payment $163 $214 $205 $197

Diversity

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
% Men 15% 10% 15% 9%
% Women 21% 16% 19% 14%
Racial Diversity High Medium Very High High
HBCU No No No No
% White 57% 64% 42% 51%
% Black 6% 8% 8% 11%
% Hispanic 21% 19% 22% 21%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3% 3% 4%
% International 1% 1% 14% 5%
% Unknown Race 3% 1% 5% 1%

Students

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
% In-State 79% 83% 26% 80%
% Out-of-State 15% 16% 66% 13%

Campus

 Florida Florida State Miami USF Main Campus
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Florida is larger than than Florida State based on total student enrollment (54,814 students vs. 43,234 students)

Florida vs. Florida State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida or Florida State?

  • University of Florida is 11.3% more expensive to attend than Florida State for in-state tuition ($4,477.00 vs. $4,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 55.3% higher at Florida than Florida State University ($25,694.00 vs. $16,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Florida than Florida State ($11,521 vs. $14,903)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Florida are 10.8% lower than costs at Florida State University ($11,500 vs. $12,740)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Florida than Florida State University (88% vs. 86%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Florida students is 22.8% larger than aid received Florida State University ($10,724 vs. $8,731)

Florida vs. Florida State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Florida or Florida State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Florida State or Florida .

  • The average SAT score at University of Florida (1277) is 62 points higher than at Florida State (1215)
  • Incoming Florida students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Florida State (27)
  • Accepted freshman Florida students have a 0.2 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Florida State (3.7)
  • Florida State has a higher acceptance rate (25.4%) than Florida (24%)

Florida vs. Florida State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida or Florida State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Florida State and Florida.

  • The graduation rate at Florida is higher than Florida State University (84% vs. 74%)
  • Graduates from University of Florida earn on average $11,200 more per year than Florida State graduates after ten years. ($62,600 vs. $51,400)
  • University of Florida students graduate with a $4,935 lower median federal student loan debt than Florida State graduates. ($15,815 vs. $20,750)
  • Florida graduates are paying $51 less per month on federal student loans than Florida State graduates. ($163 vs. $214)
  • More Florida graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida State students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/