Beacon College vs. FGCU

Should I go to Beacon College or Florida Gulf Coast University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Beacon College 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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Beacon College vs. Florida Gulf Coast University comparison
Beacon College Florida Gulf Coast University College 3 College 4
Florida Gulf Coast University
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Overview

 Beacon College FGCU
Location Leesburg, FL Fort Myers, FL
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 527 16,167
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #799
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website beaconcollege.edu fgcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Beacon College FGCU
Tuition (In State) $48,510 $4,191
Tuition (Out of State) $48,510 $22,328
Room & Board $14,842 $10,914
Avg Net Price $47,664 $10,548
Avg Grant Aid $21,203 $7,858
% Receiving Grant Aid 97% 64%

Admission

 Beacon College FGCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 593 16,050
Admitted 358 12,318
Acceptance Rate 60.4% 76.7%
Enrolled % 35.2% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.2 4.0
Typical High School Grades B A/A+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25
SAT Range 1040/1210
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 1, 2025

Academics

 Beacon College FGCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Human Services (41%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (26%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Beacon College FGCU
Graduation Rate 82% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) N/A $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 55% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $201

Diversity

 Beacon College FGCU
% Men 4% 4%
% Women 2% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 70% 66%
% Black 15% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 3% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Beacon College FGCU
% In-State 33% 78%
% Out-of-State 65% 19%

Campus

 Beacon College FGCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida Gulf Coast University is larger than than Beacon College based on total student enrollment (16,167 students vs. 527 students)

Beacon College vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Beacon College or FGCU?

  • Beacon College is 1,057.5% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($48,510.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 117.3% higher at Beacon College than Florida Gulf Coast University ($48,510.00 vs. $22,328.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than Beacon College ($10,548 vs. $47,664)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 36% lower than costs at Beacon College ($10,914 vs. $14,842)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Beacon College than Florida Gulf Coast University (97% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Beacon College students is 169.8% larger than aid received Florida Gulf Coast University ($21,203 vs. $7,858)

Beacon College vs. FGCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman FGCU students have a 0.8 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Beacon College (3.2)
  • FGCU has a higher acceptance rate (76.7%) than Beacon College (60.4%)

Beacon College vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Beacon College 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 Beacon College.

  • The graduation rate at Beacon College is higher than Florida Gulf Coast University (82% vs. 45%)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Beacon College graduates. ($19,500 vs. $25,000)
  • FGCU graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than Beacon College graduates. ($201 vs. $258)
  • More FGCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Beacon College students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 55%)

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