Florida Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Florida for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in Florida. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is University of Miami which sent acceptance letters to only 19% of the 48,286 students who applied and rejected 81%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of Florida colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
Florida Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

11 results

University of Miami
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M
Coral Gables, FL

University of Miami

Private 4 Year

14 reviews

19% Acceptance Rate

#1 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 19,593enrollment
  • $41,028net price
  • 1330-1470SAT range
  • 30-33ACT range
  • 3.7Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
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F
HBCU
Tallahassee, FL

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Public 4 Year

3 reviews

21% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 9,265enrollment
  • $15,491net price
  • 1030-1150SAT range
  • 20-24ACT range
  • 3.65Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Johnson University Florida
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J
Kissimmee, FL

Johnson University Florida

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

23% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 136enrollment
  • $21,149net price
  • 840-1020SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.97Avg GPA

Applications Due Aug 1

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University of Florida
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F
Gainesville, FL

University of Florida

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

24% Acceptance Rate

#7 Best Public Universities in America

  • 54,814enrollment
  • $11,521net price
  • 1300-1480SAT range
  • 28-33ACT range
  • 3.9Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 1

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Florida State University
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F
Tallahassee, FL

Florida State University

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

25% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Colleges in Florida

  • 43,234enrollment
  • $14,903net price
  • 1240-1390SAT range
  • 27-31ACT range
  • 3.7Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Mar 1

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University of Central Florida
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C
Orlando, FL

University of Central Florida

Public 4 Year

6 reviews

40% Acceptance Rate

#3 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 69,233enrollment
  • $13,110net price
  • 1190-1350SAT range
  • 25-29ACT range
  • 3.64Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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Rollins College
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R
Winter Park, FL

Rollins College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#2 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 3,013enrollment
  • $37,134net price
  • 1210-1360SAT range
  • 26-31ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

Applications Due Feb 1

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University of South Florida Main Campus
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S
Tampa, FL

University of South Florida Main Campus

Public 4 Year

4 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Public Universities in Florida

  • 48,572enrollment
  • $11,578net price
  • 1140-1330SAT range
  • 24-29ACT range
  • 3.64Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due May 1

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The University of Tampa
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T
Tampa, FL

The University of Tampa

Private 4 Year

13 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#10 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 11,054enrollment
  • $35,975net price
  • 1070-1240SAT range
  • 23-28ACT range
  • 3.5Avg GPA

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Ave Maria University
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A
Ave Maria, FL

Ave Maria University

Private 4 Year

2 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#13 Best Private Colleges in Florida

  • 1,335enrollment
  • $23,515net price
  • 1018-1240SAT range
  • 21-28ACT range
  • 3.6Avg GPA

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Warner University
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W
Lake Wales, FL
 

Warner University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

48% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 891enrollment
  • $21,471net price
  • 840-1070SAT range
  • 14-20ACT range
  • 3.22Avg GPA

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