Southwest Florida College vs. FGCU

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

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Location Fort Myers, FL Fort Myers, FL
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 532 16,167
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #799
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status For-profit Non-profit
Website swfc.edu fgcu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Tuition (In State) $14,742 $4,191
Tuition (Out of State) $14,742 $22,328
Room & Board $11,799 $10,914
Avg Net Price $22,016 $10,548
Avg Grant Aid $4,746 $7,858
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 64%

Admission

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 16,050
Admitted - 12,318
Acceptance Rate Open 76.7%
Enrolled % Open 22.5%
Avg High School GPA - 4.0
Typical High School Grades - A/A+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25
SAT Range 1040/1210
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Nov 1, 2025

Academics

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (51%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (16%)
  • Business (7%)
  • Communications Technology (6%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (6%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)

Outcomes

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Graduation Rate - 45%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $26,100 $45,200
Making Student Loan Payments 26% 59%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,649 $19,500
Median Loan Payment $223 $201

Diversity

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
% Men 29% 4%
% Women 38% 8%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 47% 66%
% Black 20% 7%
% Hispanic 25% 19%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
% In-State 100% 78%
% Out-of-State 0% 19%

Campus

 Southwest Florida College FGCU
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Florida Gulf Coast University is larger than than Southwest Florida College based on total student enrollment (16,167 students vs. 532 students)

Southwest Florida College vs. FGCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Southwest Florida College or FGCU?

  • Southwest Florida College is 251.8% more expensive to attend than FGCU for in-state tuition ($14,742.00 vs. $4,191.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.5% higher at FGCU than Southwest Florida College ($22,328.00 vs. $14,742.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Gulf Coast University than Southwest Florida College ($10,548 vs. $22,016)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Florida Gulf Coast University are 8.1% lower than costs at Southwest Florida College ($10,914 vs. $11,799)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Southwest Florida College than Florida Gulf Coast University (72% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida Gulf Coast University students is 65.6% larger than aid received Southwest Florida College ($7,858 vs. $4,746)

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

Southwest Florida College vs. FGCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Southwest Florida College 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 Southwest Florida College.

  • Graduates from Florida Gulf Coast University earn on average $19,100 more per year than Southwest Florida College graduates after ten years. ($45,200 vs. $26,100)
  • Florida Gulf Coast University students graduate with a $2,149 lower median federal student loan debt than Southwest Florida College graduates. ($19,500 vs. $21,649)
  • FGCU graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Southwest Florida College graduates. ($201 vs. $223)
  • More FGCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwest Florida College students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 26%)

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