A public R1 research university in Orlando, FL, admitting 40.11% of applicants with $6,368 in-state tuition, a 31.76% Hispanic enrollment, and one of the strongest value scores among large public universities.
Orlando, Florida
The University of Central Florida is a public R1 research university in Orlando, Florida, founded in 1963 to support the aerospace and defense industries that were transforming the Kennedy Space Center region. It enrolls approximately 59,146 undergraduates and 10,161 graduate students across thirteen colleges and schools, including the College of Business Administration, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Nicholson School of Communication and Media, the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, the College of Sciences, the College of Medicine, and the College of Arts and Humanities.
Business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and hospitality management account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of Central Florida is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SAT or ACT scores are required for admission; the University of Central Florida requires standardized testing. UCF is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management is consistently ranked among the top hospitality programs in the world.
Official website: ucf.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of Central Florida scores 89.86 overall, rated Strong, one of the highest scores among large public universities with high first-generation enrollment. Outcomes (88.85) reflects a 78.01% six-year graduation rate and 92.26% first-year retention. Value scores 93.46, driven by strong ten-year earnings of $58,308 relative to an exceptionally low average net price of $10,411. Selectivity scores 82.89, reflecting a 40.11% admit rate. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of Central Florida admits 40.11% of applicants, making it among the more selective large public universities in Florida. SAT or ACT scores are required; standardized testing is not optional at UCF. UCF uses its own application portal. The priority deadline for scholarship and housing consideration is December 1; the regular decision deadline is May 1.
Florida residents who qualify for the Bright Futures Scholarship should review UCF's test score requirements, as SAT and ACT scores are required for both admission and scholarship eligibility verification. Admission to specific colleges, including the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Business Administration, may require additional academic criteria.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Central Florida is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of Central Florida charges $6,368 in in-state tuition and $22,467 in out-of-state tuition, plus $12,452 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $24,500 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $10,411, among the lowest of any selective R1 university in the country. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $5,816. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $7,174.
For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $14,902. Florida residents may be eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship, which provides merit-based tuition support; the Florida Academic Scholars award covers 100% of tuition for students with a 3.5 GPA and 1290 SAT (29 ACT). The federal loan rate of 22.58% and median debt of $18,190 are among the lowest in this peer group, reflecting very low in-state tuition and effective state financial aid.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of Central Florida graduates a strong majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 78.01% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 92.26%. The federal loan rate of 22.58% and median debt of $18,190 are low for a selective R1 of this size, reflecting the combined effect of Florida's very low in-state tuition and the Bright Futures scholarship program.
University of Central Florida graduates enter careers in technology, aerospace, hospitality, healthcare, defense, and business, primarily in the Orlando metropolitan area and across Florida. Median earnings are $47,137 six years after first enrolling and $58,308 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 82.72% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Orlando's economy is driven by three major sectors: tourism and hospitality (Walt Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld, and a convention industry that generates over $4 billion annually), aerospace and defense (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, and the Kennedy Space Center complex 45 miles east), and a growing technology corridor (Siemens, EA, Electronic Arts, and other tech firms).
The Rosen College of Hospitality Management, located near the International Drive convention corridor, has direct industry partnerships with Orlando's tourism and hotel companies. UCF's engineering and computer science graduates are heavily recruited by the defense contractors, simulation firms, and aerospace companies that cluster around the Central Florida Research Park adjacent to the UCF campus.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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.
The University of Central Florida enrolls approximately 59,146 undergraduates on its main campus in Orlando, Florida, approximately 12 miles east of downtown Orlando near the Research Park. Hispanic students account for 31.76% of undergraduates; White students 42.68%, Black 8.66%, and Asian 7.84%. Approximately 32.34% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 35.26% are first-generation college students. UCF is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
Orlando is Florida's fourth-largest city and a major metropolitan area of approximately 2.7 million in the metro area; theme parks, the convention industry, and growing technology and healthcare sectors shape the local economy. UCF athletics compete in the American Athletic Conference; the UCF Knights compete in football, basketball, and other varsity sports.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Central Florida. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Central Florida offers an extensive catalog of programs: 200 distinct programs across 26 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.
The University of Central Florida operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large public research universities. 98.51% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, the highest rate in this peer group. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $7,831 per year, among the lowest in this peer group, reflecting the constraints of Florida's public university funding model and the scale of UCF's enrollment.
The endowment stands at approximately $202 million, modest for a university of UCF's size, reflecting its relatively recent founding and growth trajectory. UCF's College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) is one of the leading optics research centers in the country. The Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) is a nationally recognized research center for modeling and simulation, directly connected to the defense and training industries concentrated around the campus.
1,553 instructional faculty across 5 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 | 369 | 24% | $155,114 |
| Associate Professors | 392 | 25% | $107,660 |
| Assistant Professors | 244 | 16% | $89,545 |
| Instructors | 211 | 14% | $67,742 |
| Lecturers | 337 | 22% | $74,790 |
The University of Central Florida's defining strengths are its exceptional UCD 89.86 Strong score, very low in-state tuition ($6,368), outstanding average net price ($10,411), 98.51% full-time faculty rate, the Bright Futures scholarship for Florida residents, and Orlando's diversified economy in tourism, aerospace, defense, and technology. UCD 89.86 Strong.
The considerations: SAT or ACT scores are required; instructional spending of $7,831 per student is among the lowest in this peer group; the endowment of $202 million is very low for a university of this size; the 78.01% six-year graduation rate is below the top public flagships; and ten-year earnings of $58,308 are below engineering-heavy peers, reflecting Orlando's hospitality and tourism sector wage profile. Best fit for Florida residents who want a selective R1 university at very low cost, particularly those pursuing engineering, computer science, hospitality management, simulation/gaming, or business in Orlando's distinctive economy.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about UCF: how UCF compares to UF and FSU, what the Research Park connection means for careers, how hospitality management works, and what the Bright Futures scholarship covers.
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