Florida Southern vs. Florida State

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

Florida Southern Florida State
Location Lakeland, FL Tallahassee, FL
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 3,281 44,161
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #425 #199
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website flsouthern.edu fsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Florida Southern Florida State
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $4,022
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $16,540
Room & Board $12,400 $11,592
Avg Net Price $27,324 $14,003
Avg Grant Aid $27,730 $10,169
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 89%

Admission

Florida Southern Florida State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,120 78,088
Admitted 6,295 19,552
Acceptance Rate 56.6% 25%
Enrolled % 12% 30.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.7
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low High
ACT Range 22/29 26/31
SAT Range 1080/1290 1210/1370
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 Mar 1, 2025

Academics

Florida Southern Florida State
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (5%)
  • Work and Family Studies (5%)

Outcomes

Florida Southern Florida State
Graduation Rate 55% 74%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,700 $51,400
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,000 $20,750
Median Loan Payment $248 $214

Diversity

Florida Southern Florida State
% Men 37% 42%
% Women 63% 58%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 74% 64%
% Black 6% 8%
% Hispanic 11% 19%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Florida Southern Florida State
% In-State 51% 85%
% Out-of-State 45% 14%

Campus

Florida Southern Florida State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida State University is larger than than Florida Southern based on total student enrollment (44,161 students vs. 3,281 students)

Florida Southern vs. Florida State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida Southern or Florida State?

  • Florida Southern College is 887.1% more expensive to attend than Florida State for in-state tuition ($39,700.00 vs. $4,022.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 140% higher at Florida Southern than Florida State University ($39,700.00 vs. $16,540.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida State University than Florida Southern ($14,003 vs. $27,324)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida State University are 7% lower than costs at Florida Southern College ($11,592 vs. $12,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida Southern College than Florida State University (100% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida Southern College students is 172.7% larger than aid received Florida State University ($27,730 vs. $10,169)

Florida Southern vs. Florida State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida State University (1215) is 43 points higher than at Florida Southern (1172)
  • Incoming Florida Southern students have at the same average ACT score (27) as students at Florida State (27)
  • Accepted freshman Florida Southern students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Florida State (3.7)
  • Florida Southern has a higher acceptance rate (56.6%) than Florida State (25%)

Florida Southern vs. Florida State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida Southern or Florida State? 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 Florida State and Florida Southern.

  • The graduation rate at Florida State is higher than Florida Southern College (74% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Florida State University earn on average $8,700 more per year than Florida Southern graduates after ten years. ($51,400 vs. $42,700)
  • Florida State University students graduate with a $3,250 lower median federal student loan debt than Florida Southern graduates. ($20,750 vs. $24,000)
  • Florida State graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than Florida Southern graduates. ($214 vs. $248)
  • More Florida Southern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida State students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 63%)

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