Florida Southern vs. Widener University-Main Campus

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

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
Location Lakeland, FL Chester, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,281 5,416
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #425 #364
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website flsouthern.edu widener.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $39,700 $50,624
Tuition (Out of State) $39,700 $50,624
Room & Board $12,400 $15,200
Avg Net Price $27,324 $32,185
Avg Grant Aid $27,730 $32,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 97%

Admission

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,120 5,961
Admitted 6,295 5,227
Acceptance Rate 56.6% 87.7%
Enrolled % 12% 10.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 3.46
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/29 22/29
SAT Range 1080/1290 1105/1290
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
Graduation Rate 55% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,700 $59,500
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,000 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $248 $279

Diversity

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
% Men 37% 34%
% Women 63% 66%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 74% 70%
% Black 6% 13%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Florida Southern Widener University-Main Campus
% In-State 51% 61%
% Out-of-State 45% 38%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Widener University Main Campus is larger than than Florida Southern based on total student enrollment (5,416 students vs. 3,281 students)

Florida Southern vs. Widener University-Main Campus Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Florida Southern or Widener University-Main Campus?

  • Widener University Main Campus is 27.5% more expensive to attend than Florida Southern for in-state tuition ($50,624.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.5% higher at Widener University-Main Campus than Florida Southern College ($50,624.00 vs. $39,700.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Southern College than Widener University-Main Campus ($27,324 vs. $32,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Southern College are 22.6% lower than costs at Widener University Main Campus ($12,400 vs. $15,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Florida Southern College than Widener University Main Campus (100% vs. 97%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Widener University Main Campus students is 16.9% larger than aid received Florida Southern College ($32,412 vs. $27,730)

Florida Southern vs. Widener University-Main Campus Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Florida Southern College (1172) is 140 points higher than at Widener University-Main Campus (1032)
  • Incoming Florida Southern students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Widener University-Main Campus (23)
  • Accepted freshman Florida Southern students have a 0.27 point higher average high school GPA (3.73) than students at Widener University-Main Campus (3.46)
  • Widener University-Main Campus has a higher acceptance rate (87.7%) than Florida Southern (56.6%)

Florida Southern vs. Widener University-Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Florida Southern or Widener University-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 Widener University-Main Campus and Florida Southern.

  • The graduation rate at Florida Southern is higher than Widener University Main Campus (55% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Widener University Main Campus earn on average $16,800 more per year than Florida Southern graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $42,700)
  • Florida Southern College students graduate with a $3,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($24,000 vs. $27,000)
  • Florida Southern graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($248 vs. $279)
  • More Widener University-Main Campus graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Florida Southern students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 65%)

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