ECU vs. FGCU

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

 ECU FGCU
Location Greenville, NC Fort Myers, FL
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 26,785 16,167
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #587 #799
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ecu.edu fgcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 ECU FGCU
Tuition (In State) $4,452 $4,191
Tuition (Out of State) $20,729 $22,328
Room & Board $11,000 $10,914
Avg Net Price $14,470 $10,548
Avg Grant Aid $8,836 $7,858
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 64%

Admission

 ECU FGCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 22,289 16,050
Admitted 20,073 12,318
Acceptance Rate 90.1% 76.7%
Enrolled % 19.6% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.33 4.0
Typical High School Grades B+ A/A+
Admissions Standards Moderate Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/26 20/25
SAT Range 1050/1200 1040/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 1, 2025

Academics

 ECU FGCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 ECU FGCU
Graduation Rate 59% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,900 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,788 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $256 $201

Diversity

 ECU FGCU
% Men 6% 4%
% Women 14% 8%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 69% 66%
% Black 16% 7%
% Hispanic 6% 19%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 ECU FGCU
% In-State 82% 78%
% Out-of-State 17% 19%

Campus

 ECU 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

  • East Carolina University is larger than than FGCU based on total student enrollment (26,785 students vs. 16,167 students)

ECU vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, ECU or FGCU?

  • East Carolina University is 6.2% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($4,452.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.7% higher at FGCU than East Carolina University ($22,328.00 vs. $20,729.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than ECU ($10,548 vs. $14,470)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 0.8% lower than costs at East Carolina University ($10,914 vs. $11,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida Gulf Coast University than East Carolina University (64% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by East Carolina University students is 12.4% larger than aid received Florida Gulf Coast University ($8,836 vs. $7,858)

ECU vs. FGCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida Gulf Coast University (1081) is 28 points higher than at ECU (1053)
  • Incoming FGCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at ECU (23)
  • Accepted freshman FGCU students have a 0.67 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at ECU (3.33)
  • ECU has a higher acceptance rate (90.1%) than FGCU (76.7%)

ECU vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, ECU 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 ECU.

  • The graduation rate at ECU is higher than Florida Gulf Coast University (59% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Florida Gulf Coast University earn on average $1,300 more per year than ECU graduates after ten years. ($45,200 vs. $43,900)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University students graduate with a $5,288 lower median federal student loan debt than ECU graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,788)
  • FGCU graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than ECU graduates. ($201 vs. $256)
  • More ECU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FGCU students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 59%)

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