Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Fort Myers, Florida. It enrolls 13,874 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
77/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes62
Value87
Affordability60
Selectivity52
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Florida Gulf Coast University admits 63.4% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
63.4%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1040 – 1200
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
20 – 25
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Florida Gulf Coast University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
10.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $12,568 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$6,118
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$25,162
Room & Board (on-campus)
$11,107
Room & Board (off-campus)
$13,680
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,558
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,558
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,807
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$8,220
$30,001 – $48,000
$8,191
$48,001 – $75,000
$10,999
$75,001 – $110,000
$15,450
Over $110,000
$18,829
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,00010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$17,622Medianpercentile
$23,37575%percentile
$31,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,000
↓ $5,622
No Pell $11,302
↓ $6,320
Dependent students $11,327
↓ $6,295
Independent students $13,000
↓ $4,622
Female students $12,000
↓ $5,622
Male students $11,698
↓ $5,924
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($17,622), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
48% of students who start here finish within six years, and 83% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
48%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
83%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,560 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,560
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$42,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$52,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$44,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$44,500
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$49,000
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,700, about 19% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 79% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 13,874 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 36% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
13,874
Part-Time
21%
First-Generation
36%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 50.1%6,954
Hispanic 25.8%3,577
Black 4.4%608
Other 2.6%362
International 2.5%343
Asian 1.8%250
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Florida Gulf Coast University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Florida Gulf Coast University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
75 distinct programs across
23 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 21 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.
Student : Faculty
21:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,418
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$96M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$84,010
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
550 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
116
21%
$110,955
Associate Professors
134
24%
$92,407
Assistant Professors
152
28%
$78,136
Instructors
148
27%
$61,320
Pros & Cons of Florida Gulf Coast University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Florida Gulf Coast University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Gulf Coast University
The questions families ask most about Florida Gulf Coast University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Florida Gulf Coast University hard to get into?
Admissions at Florida Gulf Coast University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 63.4%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Florida Gulf Coast University?
63.4% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Florida Gulf Coast University?
Aim for 1200 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1040 and 1200 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Florida Gulf Coast University?
Aim for 25 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 20 and 25 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Florida Gulf Coast University cost?
Budget around $12,568 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Florida Gulf Coast University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,560 a year against a net price of $12,568, about 4.3 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Florida Gulf Coast University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Florida Gulf Coast University graduates earn?
About $54,560 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Florida Gulf Coast University accredited?
Yes. Florida Gulf Coast University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Florida Gulf Coast University?
13,874 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Florida Gulf Coast University?
48% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Florida Gulf Coast University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Florida Gulf Coast University located?
Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Fort Myers, Florida.
What programs does Florida Gulf Coast University offer?
75 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Florida Gulf Coast University?
21 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Florida
Other colleges in Florida share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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