UCF vs. KU

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

 UCF KU
Location Orlando, FL Lawrence, KS
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 68,346 26,708
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #379 #252
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucf.edu ku.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCF KU
Tuition (In State) $4,478 $10,092
Tuition (Out of State) $19,810 $26,960
Room & Board $11,498 $10,136
Avg Net Price $13,108 $18,950
Avg Grant Aid $9,986 $11,140
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 87%

Admission

 UCF KU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,977 16,204
Admitted 22,560 14,234
Acceptance Rate 41% 87.8%
Enrolled % 33.3% 31.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.66
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/29 21/28
SAT Range 1200/1360 1090/1340
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 UCF KU
Student to Faculty Ratio 29:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Health Professions (10%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Engineering (5%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Communication (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (7%)

Outcomes

 UCF KU
Graduation Rate 63% 61%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $54,600
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,270 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $188 $211

Diversity

 UCF KU
% Men 45% 45%
% Women 55% 55%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 53% 72%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 24% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 1% 6%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UCF KU
% In-State 91% 58%
% Out-of-State 9% 39%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Central Florida is larger than than KU based on total student enrollment (68,346 students vs. 26,708 students)

UCF vs. KU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCF or KU?

  • University of Kansas is 125.4% more expensive to attend than UCF for in-state tuition ($10,092.00 vs. $4,478.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.1% higher at KU than University of Central Florida ($26,960.00 vs. $19,810.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Central Florida than KU ($13,108 vs. $18,950)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Kansas are 13.4% lower than costs at University of Central Florida ($10,136 vs. $11,498)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Central Florida than University of Kansas (93% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Kansas students is 11.6% larger than aid received University of Central Florida ($11,140 vs. $9,986)

UCF vs. KU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Central Florida (1179) is 34 points higher than at KU (1145)
  • Incoming UCF students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at KU (25)
  • Accepted freshman KU students have a 0.02 point higher average high school GPA (3.66) than students at UCF (3.64)
  • KU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than UCF (41%)

UCF vs. KU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at UCF is higher than University of Kansas (63% vs. 61%)
  • Graduates from University of Kansas earn on average $5,700 more per year than UCF graduates after ten years. ($54,600 vs. $48,900)
  • University of Central Florida students graduate with a $2,230 lower median federal student loan debt than KU graduates. ($18,270 vs. $20,500)
  • UCF graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than KU graduates. ($188 vs. $211)
  • More KU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCF students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 59%)

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