FSW vs. FAU

Should I go to Florida SouthWestern State College or Florida Atlantic University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if FSW or FAU 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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Florida SouthWestern State College vs. Florida Atlantic University comparison
Florida SouthWestern State College Florida Atlantic University College 3 College 4
Florida Atlantic University
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Overview

FSW FAU
Location Fort Myers, FL Boca Raton, FL
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 14,326 29,592
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #738
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website edison.edu fau.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

FSW FAU
Tuition (In State) $2,436 $2,522
Tuition (Out of State) $9,750 $14,374
Room & Board $10,044 $12,536
Avg Net Price $7,792 $9,711
Avg Grant Aid $5,728 $10,334
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 85%

Admission

FSW FAU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 24,268
Admitted - 19,734
Acceptance Rate Open 81.3%
Enrolled % Open 22.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.06 3.74
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Unavailable Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25
SAT Range 1020/1200
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

FSW FAU
Student to Faculty Ratio 27:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (56%)
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Business (5%)
  • Education (4%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

FSW FAU
Graduation Rate - 43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,400 $46,200
Making Student Loan Payments 43% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $9,000 $16,861
Median Loan Payment $93 $174

Diversity

FSW FAU
% Men 36% 42%
% Women 64% 58%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 51% 43%
% Black 11% 20%
% Hispanic 28% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

FSW FAU
% In-State 92% 72%
% Out-of-State 0% 22%

Campus

FSW FAU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida Atlantic University is larger than than FSW based on total student enrollment (29,592 students vs. 14,326 students)

FSW vs. FAU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, FSW or FAU?

  • Florida Atlantic University is 3.5% more expensive to attend than FSW for in-state tuition ($2,522.00 vs. $2,436.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 47.4% higher at FAU than Florida SouthWestern State College ($14,374.00 vs. $9,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida SouthWestern State College than FAU ($7,792 vs. $9,711)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida SouthWestern State College are 24.8% lower than costs at Florida Atlantic University ($10,044 vs. $12,536)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida SouthWestern State College than Florida Atlantic University (98% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida Atlantic University students is 80.4% larger than aid received Florida SouthWestern State College ($10,334 vs. $5,728)

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

  • Accepted freshman FAU students have a 0.68 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at FSW (3.06)

FSW vs. FAU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, FSW or FAU? 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 FAU and FSW.

  • Graduates from Florida Atlantic University earn on average $8,800 more per year than FSW graduates after ten years. ($46,200 vs. $37,400)
  • Florida SouthWestern State College students graduate with a $7,861 lower median federal student loan debt than FAU graduates. ($9,000 vs. $16,861)
  • FSW graduates are paying $81 less per month on federal student loans than FAU graduates. ($93 vs. $174)
  • More FAU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FSW students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 43%)

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