UCF vs. FAU

Should I go to University of Central Florida or Florida Atlantic University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCF or FAU 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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University of Central Florida vs. Florida Atlantic University comparison
University of Central Florida Florida Atlantic University College 3 College 4
University of Central Florida Florida Atlantic University
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Overview

 UCF FAU
Location Orlando, FL Boca Raton, FL
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 68,346 29,592
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #738
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucf.edu fau.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCF FAU
Tuition (In State) $4,478 $2,522
Tuition (Out of State) $19,810 $14,374
Room & Board $11,498 $12,536
Avg Net Price $13,108 $9,711
Avg Grant Aid $9,986 $10,334
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 85%

Admission

 UCF FAU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,977 24,268
Admitted 22,560 19,734
Acceptance Rate 41% 81.3%
Enrolled % 33.3% 22.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.74
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Difficult Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/29 20/25
SAT Range 1200/1360 1020/1200
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 May 1, 2025

Academics

 UCF FAU
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Business (27%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)

Outcomes

 UCF FAU
Graduation Rate 63% 43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $46,200
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,270 $16,861
Median Loan Payment $188 $174

Diversity

 UCF FAU
% Men 45% 42%
% Women 55% 58%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 53% 43%
% Black 11% 20%
% Hispanic 24% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UCF FAU
% In-State 91% 72%
% Out-of-State 9% 22%

Campus

 UCF FAU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Central Florida is larger than than FAU based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 29,592 students)

UCF vs. FAU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCF or FAU?

  • University of Central Florida is 77.6% more expensive to attend than FAU for in-state tuition ($4,478.00 vs. $2,522.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.8% higher at UCF than Florida Atlantic University ($19,810.00 vs. $14,374.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Florida Atlantic University than UCF ($9,711 vs. $13,108)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Central Florida are 9% lower than costs at Florida Atlantic University ($11,498 vs. $12,536)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than Florida Atlantic University (93% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Florida Atlantic University students is 3.5% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($10,334 vs. $9,986)

UCF vs. FAU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Florida (1179) is 132 points higher than at FAU (1047)
  • Incoming UCF students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at FAU (23)
  • Accepted freshman FAU students have a 0.1 point higher average high school GPA (3.74) than students at UCF (3.64)
  • FAU has a higher acceptance rate (81.3%) than UCF (41%)

UCF vs. FAU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCF or FAU? 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 FAU and UCF.

  • The graduation rate at UCF is higher than Florida Atlantic University (63% vs. 43%)
  • Graduates from University of Central Florida earn on average $2,700 more per year than FAU graduates after ten years. ($48,900 vs. $46,200)
  • Florida Atlantic University students graduate with a $1,409 lower median federal student loan debt than UCF graduates. ($16,861 vs. $18,270)
  • FAU graduates are paying $14 less per month on federal student loans than UCF graduates. ($174 vs. $188)
  • More UCF graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former FAU students, three years after graduation. (59% vs. 54%)

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