A public R1 research university in Gainesville, FL, with an average net price of $6,541 and in-state tuition of $6,381.
Gainesville, Florida
The University of Florida is a public R1 research university in Gainesville, Florida, founded in 1853, the flagship institution of the State University System of Florida. It enrolls 35,629 undergraduates and 19,738 graduate students across sixteen colleges, including the Warrington College of Business, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the College of Medicine, the Levin College of Law, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Social sciences, biological sciences, engineering, business, and health sciences account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. UF holds a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification and is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). UF requires SAT or ACT scores for admission.
Official website: ufl.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), UF scores 92.54 overall, rated Excellent. Outcomes (96.89) reflects a 91.12% six-year graduation rate and solid graduate earnings. Value scores 98.82, driven by an average net price of $6,541, one of the lowest of any selective research university in the country. Affordability scores 59.69. All scores use verified federal data only.
UF admits 24.20% of applicants, placing it among the more accessible selective flagship universities in the country while remaining substantially more selective than the average four-year public university. UF requires SAT or ACT scores; test-optional policies do not apply at UF. Students who enroll typically score an average of 1,403 on the SAT, with the middle 50% ACT range between 29 and 33.
The application deadline is November 1 for regular decision, with an early action option. UF evaluates applicants on academic record, test scores, activities, and personal essays. Florida residents have a significant advantage in the admissions process; out-of-state enrollment at UF is intentionally limited by state policy.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Florida is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
For Florida residents, UF charges $6,381 in tuition and fees plus $12,120 in room and board, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $21,000 before aid. For out-of-state students, tuition is $28,659, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $43,000 before aid. The Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program covers tuition and fees for Florida residents who meet academic benchmarks; students who qualify for the Academic Scholars award have tuition and fees fully covered by the scholarship.
The average net price across all enrolled students is $6,541. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $1,982. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $2,768. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $12,905. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $16,723.
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.
UF completes the large majority of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 91.12% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. The four-year rate is 74.20%, consistent with large public research universities where some students take longer due to program capacity, co-op programs, and multi-disciplinary pathways. First-year retention stands at 97.40%. UF's federal loan rate of 10.69% is low by flagship standards, suggesting the Bright Futures program and institutional aid are keeping borrowing manageable for a large share of Florida residents.
UF graduates earn above the median for public flagship universities. Median earnings are $56,398 six years after first enrolling and $71,588 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 87.36% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. The earnings figures reflect the broad program mix at UF, including a large share of graduates in education, social services, and health fields, which typically have lower median earnings than engineering or finance. The federal loan rate of 10.69% and median debt of $15,000 are both below the national average for public flagship universities.
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.
UF enrolls 35,629 undergraduates in Gainesville, a mid-sized college town of approximately 140,000 residents in north-central Florida. White students account for 48.85% of undergraduates; Hispanic 24.64%, Asian 12.42%, and Black 4.83%. Twenty-two percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 30.77% are first-generation college students. Florida's diverse population is reflected in UF's demographics, particularly the significant Hispanic enrollment that is among the highest of any major state flagship. The campus environment is shaped by Florida Gators athletics, a nationally competitive football and basketball program that drives significant campus culture and alumni engagement.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Florida. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Florida offers an extensive catalog of programs: 313 distinct programs across 27 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.
UF operates at a 16:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 89.59% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, one of the higher rates among large public flagship universities. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $23,406 per year. The endowment stands at $2.45 billion, supplemented substantially by state appropriations and the Florida Lottery funds that support the Bright Futures scholarship program. UF Health (formerly Shands) is one of the leading academic medical systems in the South and provides research and clinical training for health sciences students.
3,134 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 | 1,097 | 35% | $164,785 |
| Associate Professors | 633 | 20% | $111,737 |
| Assistant Professors | 778 | 25% | $96,159 |
| Lecturers | 525 | 17% | $72,508 |
| No Rank | 101 | 3% | $70,663 |
UF's defining strengths are its Value score (98.82, near-perfect) and its average net price of $6,541, the lowest of any selective research university covered in this peer group. For Florida residents who qualify for Bright Futures, the effective cost of attendance is exceptionally low: tuition and fees are covered, leaving primarily room, board, and personal expenses. Outcomes (96.89) are strong for a public flagship of this scale.
The trade-offs: UF requires standardized test scores (not test-optional), limiting the applicant pool relative to peers; ten-year earnings of $71,588 are lower than at Berkeley, Michigan, or UT Austin; and Gainesville is a college town with limited major-city career access compared to Austin, Los Angeles, or Ann Arbor. Best fit for Florida residents who qualify for Bright Futures and want a strong research university at minimal cost; students targeting healthcare, agriculture, law, or business at a fraction of the price of comparable private programs.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about UF: how selective admissions are, what the Bright Futures scholarship covers, why the net price is so low, and what graduates earn.
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