FAU vs. USF Main Campus

Should I go to Florida Atlantic University or University of South Florida Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if FAU or USF Main Campus 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 Atlantic University vs. University of South Florida Main Campus comparison
Florida Atlantic University University of South Florida Main Campus College 3 College 4
Florida Atlantic University University of South Florida Main Campus
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Overview

 FAU USF Main Campus
Location Boca Raton, FL Tampa, FL
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 29,592 49,600
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #738 #423
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fau.edu usf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 FAU USF Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $2,522 $4,559
Tuition (Out of State) $14,374 $15,473
Room & Board $12,536 $12,622
Avg Net Price $9,711 $11,004
Avg Grant Aid $10,334 $11,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 87%

Admission

 FAU USF Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 24,268 65,568
Admitted 19,734 28,801
Acceptance Rate 81.3% 43.9%
Enrolled % 22.1% 23.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 3.64
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Easy Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 20/25 24/29
SAT Range 1020/1200 1140/1330
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

 FAU USF Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

 FAU USF Main Campus
Graduation Rate 43% 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,200 $46,500
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,861 $19,147
Median Loan Payment $174 $197

Diversity

 FAU USF Main Campus
% Men 42% 42%
% Women 58% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 43% 51%
% Black 20% 11%
% Hispanic 26% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 FAU USF Main Campus
% In-State 72% 74%
% Out-of-State 22% 16%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is larger than than FAU based on total student enrollment (49,600 students vs. 29,592 students)

FAU vs. USF Main Campus Cost Comparison

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

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is 80.8% more expensive to attend than FAU for in-state tuition ($4,559.00 vs. $2,522.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 7.6% higher at USF Main Campus than Florida Atlantic University ($15,473.00 vs. $14,374.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Atlantic University than USF Main Campus ($9,711 vs. $11,004)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Atlantic University are 0.7% lower than costs at University of South Florida Main Campus ($12,536 vs. $12,622)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Florida Main Campus than Florida Atlantic University (87% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Florida Main Campus students is 7.1% larger than aid received Florida Atlantic University ($11,066 vs. $10,334)

FAU vs. USF Main Campus Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Florida Main Campus (1177) is 130 points higher than at FAU (1047)
  • Incoming USF Main Campus students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at FAU (23)
  • Accepted freshman FAU students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at USF Main Campus (3.64)
  • FAU has a higher acceptance rate (81.3%) than USF Main Campus (43.9%)

FAU vs. USF Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at USF Main Campus is higher than Florida Atlantic University (52% vs. 43%)
  • Graduates from University of South Florida Main Campus earn on average $300 more per year than FAU graduates after ten years. ($46,500 vs. $46,200)
  • Florida Atlantic University students graduate with a $2,286 lower median federal student loan debt than USF Main Campus graduates. ($16,861 vs. $19,147)
  • FAU graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than USF Main Campus graduates. ($174 vs. $197)
  • More USF Main Campus graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FAU students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 54%)

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