Florida Southern vs. FGCU

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

Florida Southern FGCU
Location Lakeland, FL Fort Myers, FL
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,281 15,969
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #425 #802
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website flsouthern.edu fgcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Florida Southern FGCU
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $4,191
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $22,328
Room & Board $12,400 $9,772
Avg Net Price $27,324 $10,834
Avg Grant Aid $27,730 $7,268
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 72%

Admission

Florida Southern FGCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,120 15,657
Admitted 6,295 11,647
Acceptance Rate 56.6% 74.4%
Enrolled % 12% 24.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Challenging Easy
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/29 20/25
SAT Range 1080/1290 1040/1200
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 Nov 1, 2024

Academics

Florida Southern FGCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

Florida Southern FGCU
Graduation Rate 55% 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,700 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,000 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $248 $201

Diversity

Florida Southern FGCU
% Men 37% 42%
% Women 63% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 74% 66%
% Black 6% 7%
% Hispanic 11% 19%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Florida Southern FGCU
% In-State 51% 75%
% Out-of-State 45% 22%

Campus

Florida Southern FGCU
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

  • Florida Gulf Coast University is larger than than Florida Southern based on total student enrollment (15,969 students vs. 3,281 students)

Florida Southern vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida Southern or FGCU?

  • Florida Southern College is 847.3% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 77.8% higher at Florida Southern than Florida Gulf Coast University ($39,700.00 vs. $22,328.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than Florida Southern ($10,834 vs. $27,324)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 26.9% lower than costs at Florida Southern College ($9,772 vs. $12,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida Southern College than Florida Gulf Coast University (100% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida Southern College students is 281.5% larger than aid received Florida Gulf Coast University ($27,730 vs. $7,268)

Florida Southern vs. FGCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida Southern College (1172) is 91 points higher than at FGCU (1081)
  • Incoming Florida Southern students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at FGCU (24)
  • Accepted freshman FGCU students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Florida Southern (3.73)
  • FGCU has a higher acceptance rate (74.4%) than Florida Southern (56.6%)

Florida Southern vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida Southern 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 Florida Southern.

  • The graduation rate at Florida Southern is higher than Florida Gulf Coast University (55% vs. 45%)
  • Graduates from Florida Gulf Coast University earn on average $2,500 more per year than Florida Southern graduates after ten years. ($45,200 vs. $42,700)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University students graduate with a $4,500 lower median federal student loan debt than Florida Southern graduates. ($19,500 vs. $24,000)
  • FGCU graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than Florida Southern graduates. ($201 vs. $248)
  • More Florida Southern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FGCU students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 59%)

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