USF Main Campus vs. FGCU vs. UCF

Should I go to University of South Florida Main Campus or Florida Gulf Coast University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USF Main Campus or FGCU 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 South Florida Main Campus vs. Florida Gulf Coast University vs. University of Central Florida comparison
University of South Florida Main Campus Florida Gulf Coast University University of Central Florida College 4
University of South Florida Main Campus Florida Gulf Coast University University of Central Florida
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Overview

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Location Tampa, FL Fort Myers, FL Orlando, FL
Setting Large City Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 48,572 16,167 69,233
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #413 #799 #387
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website usf.edu fgcu.edu ucf.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Tuition (In State) $4,559 $4,191 $4,478
Tuition (Out of State) $15,473 $22,328 $19,810
Room & Board $13,595 $10,914 $12,070
Avg Net Price $11,578 $10,548 $13,110
Avg Grant Aid $10,012 $7,858 $9,585
% Receiving Grant Aid 81% 64% 85%

Admission

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Applied 65,187 16,050 60,627
Admitted 26,699 12,318 23,961
Acceptance Rate 41% 76.7% 39.5%
Enrolled % 21.7% 22.5% 34.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 4.0 3.64
Typical High School Grades B+ A/A+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 24/29 20/25 25/29
SAT Range 1140/1330 1040/1210 1190/1350
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2026 Nov 1, 2025 May 1, 2026

Academics

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 21:1 29:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)

Outcomes

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Graduation Rate 52% 45% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $45,200 $48,900
Making Student Loan Payments 57% 59% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,147 $19,500 $18,270
Median Loan Payment $197 $201 $188

Diversity

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
% Men 9% 4% 6%
% Women 14% 8% 8%
Racial Diversity High Medium High
HBCU No No No
% White 51% 66% 53%
% Black 11% 7% 11%
% Hispanic 21% 19% 24%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3% 4%
% International 5% 2% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1% 1%

Students

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
% In-State 80% 78% 92%
% Out-of-State 13% 19% 8%

Campus

 USF Main Campus FGCU UCF
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes
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Comparable Facts

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is larger than than FGCU based on total student enrollment (48,572 students vs. 16,167 students)

USF Main Campus vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USF Main Campus or FGCU?

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is 8.8% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($4,559.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 44.3% higher at FGCU than University of South Florida Main Campus ($22,328.00 vs. $15,473.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than USF Main Campus ($10,548 vs. $11,578)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 24.6% lower than costs at University of South Florida Main Campus ($10,914 vs. $13,595)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Florida Main Campus than Florida Gulf Coast University (81% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Florida Main Campus students is 27.4% larger than aid received Florida Gulf Coast University ($10,012 vs. $7,858)

USF Main Campus vs. FGCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Florida Main Campus (1177) is 96 points higher than at FGCU (1081)
  • Incoming USF Main Campus students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at FGCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman FGCU students have a 0.36 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at USF Main Campus (3.64)
  • FGCU has a higher acceptance rate (76.7%) than USF Main Campus (41%)

USF Main Campus vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USF Main Campus or FGCU? 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 FGCU and USF Main Campus.

  • The graduation rate at USF Main Campus is higher than Florida Gulf Coast University (52% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from University of South Florida Main Campus earn on average $1,300 more per year than FGCU graduates after ten years. ($46,500 vs. $45,200)
  • University of South Florida Main Campus students graduate with a $353 lower median federal student loan debt than FGCU graduates. ($19,147 vs. $19,500)
  • USF Main Campus graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than FGCU graduates. ($197 vs. $201)
  • More FGCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USF Main Campus students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 57%)

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