HCC vs. USF Main Campus

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

 HCC USF Main Campus
Location Tampa, FL Tampa, FL
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 19,504 49,600
Type Public 2 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #423
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website hccfl.edu usf.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 HCC USF Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $1,931 $4,559
Tuition (Out of State) $7,728 $15,473
Room & Board $9,662 $12,622
Avg Net Price $3,628 $11,004
Avg Grant Aid $7,537 $11,066
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 87%

Admission

 HCC USF Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 65,568
Admitted - 28,801
Acceptance Rate Open 43.9%
Enrolled % Open 23.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.64
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/29
SAT Range 1140/1330
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025

Academics

 HCC USF Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (52%)
  • Health Professions (19%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (13%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Education (4%)
  • Business (20%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)

Outcomes

 HCC USF Main Campus
Graduation Rate - 52%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $35,600 $46,500
Making Student Loan Payments 34% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $9,500 $19,147
Median Loan Payment $98 $197

Diversity

 HCC USF Main Campus
% Men 42% 42%
% Women 58% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 35% 51%
% Black 18% 11%
% Hispanic 26% 21%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 4% 5%
% Unknown Race 11% 1%

Students

 HCC USF Main Campus
% In-State 97% 74%
% Out-of-State 1% 16%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is larger than than HCC based on total student enrollment (49,600 students vs. 19,504 students)

HCC vs. USF Main Campus Cost Comparison

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

  • University of South Florida Main Campus is 136.1% more expensive to attend than HCC for in-state tuition ($4,559.00 vs. $1,931.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 100.2% higher at USF Main Campus than Hillsborough Community College ($15,473.00 vs. $7,728.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Hillsborough Community College than USF Main Campus ($3,628 vs. $11,004)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Hillsborough Community College are 30.6% lower than costs at University of South Florida Main Campus ($9,662 vs. $12,622)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Florida Main Campus than Hillsborough Community College (87% vs. 68%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Florida Main Campus students is 46.8% larger than aid received Hillsborough Community College ($11,066 vs. $7,537)

Which college is harder to get into, HCC 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 HCC .

HCC vs. USF Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, HCC 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 HCC.

  • Graduates from University of South Florida Main Campus earn on average $10,900 more per year than HCC graduates after ten years. ($46,500 vs. $35,600)
  • Hillsborough Community College students graduate with a $9,647 lower median federal student loan debt than USF Main Campus graduates. ($9,500 vs. $19,147)
  • HCC graduates are paying $99 less per month on federal student loans than USF Main Campus graduates. ($98 vs. $197)
  • More USF Main Campus graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former HCC students, three years after graduation. (57% vs. 34%)

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