If you're looking for an affordable university and you are a resident of Florida these are the least expensive in state colleges to consider.
Affordable doesn't simply mean finding a school with a low published in state tuition. It's important to research the typical financial aid package offered by a school, the average net price actually paid and most importantly the quality of education you receive for your tuition dollar. Sometimes a school which appears cheap based on list price can be a poor relative value if it can't award competitive financial aid or doesn't offer a quality education. The list below is a ranking on published in state tuition with no consideration of actual average price paid or academic quality of the school. Please see the CollegeCalc best value colleges in Florida list for a ranking which considers school quality and average net price.
The most affordable four year colleges in Florida are listed by one year's in state tuition list price for the 2021/2022 school year.
What is the cheapest college in Florida? Leading the colleges list is Gulf Coast State College in Panama City with an in state tuition of $1,750.
Academic Rating is a CollegeCalc rating of a college's overall academics and effectiveness. The score ranges from zero to one hundred, with fifty being the median for all eligible colleges. Dollar value is a measure of a school's academic rating compared with the average price paid by students. Colleges which are ranked "n/a" didn't report sufficient data to formulate a score. Learn more about our rating methodology.
All price data are reprinted from the U.S. Department of Education's 2021/2022 IPEDS Survey and reflect reported costs for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Three Florida schools — the University of Florida (UF), Florida State University (FSU), and the University of South Florida (USF) — were named among the most affordable schools in the country, according to a ranking compiled on Monday.
The report analyzed the average costs of tuition, fees, room and board, and books and supplies across over 1,700 higher education institutions and identified UF as the nation’s most affordable school, with an annual tuition of $8,285 and a median alumni salary of $45,803.
FSU trails closely behind, placed second in the list with an annual tuition of $7,493 but a comparatively lower median alumni salary of $38,690. USF ranks fourth, trailing the two flagship state schools and New Mexico State University, registering $6,410 in average annual costs and a median graduate salary of $39,907.
The University of Miami (UM), Florida’s sole private school on the list, ranks 41st. While its tuition is the highest among the listed universities at $57,194 annually, UM graduates also have the top median salary of $50,273.
Broadly speaking, state universities — UM withholding — are deemed largely affordable due to the prevalence of financial aid offerings in public institutions, most pertinent of which is the merit-based Bright Futures scholarship. The aid program offers financial assistance for high-achieving students to pursue post-secondary education at Florida’s colleges.
“It’s also worth noting that a high percentage of students, averaging at 92.05 percent, receive financial aid, with this figure reaching 100 percent at the 90th percentile,” reads the report. “This suggests that financial support is widely available, making these best affordable colleges more accessible to a broader range of students.”
Earlier this year, the State University System reported a 12 percent five-year increase in graduation rates alongside a 49 percent year-over-year drop in the overall cost of earning a bachelor’s degree.
For the 2022-23 academic year, average in-state tuition costs at Florida universities are the lowest in the nation, according to state data, and nearly $5,000 cheaper than the national average of $11,103.
Additional state data shows that 75 percent of resident undergraduate students graduated without student loans in the 2020-21 academic year, an uptick from 69 percent the previous year.
Moreover, once financial aid is applied, the State University System reports that the average cost of a degree is $1,550. The figure is a nearly 50 percent decrease compared to the year prior, and $12,210 lower in cost than the same statistic from the 2016-17 academic year.
The University of Florida was ranked No. 1 as the most affordable college in the United States in 2023-24, according to a study by Research.com.
Eighty-eight colleges were ranked in the study, with four in Florida making the list among the most affordable. The study factors in financial aid, acceptance rates, average test scores and graduation rates.
Click here for the full list.
Tuition and fees at the University of Florida — a public university in Gainesville — cost $8,285 per year. Average room and board charges are $10,950, and books and supplies cost $810 — adding up to an average total yearly cost of $20,045.
UF was also ranked No. 2 among the best colleges in Florida and the most popular colleges in the state, and ranked No. 48 overall among the best colleges in the country, according to Research.com.
(Photo by: Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Gainesville, University of Florida, campus entrance with students.
Two other Florida schools ranked among the top five of the most affordable — Florida State University in Tallahassee ranks at No. 2, with the average total cost of one year adding up to $20,058. Tuition and fees cost $7,493 per year, room and board cost $11,565, and books and supplies cost $1,000.
(Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Tallahassee Florida FSU college entrance to school with arch and brick campus.
Ranked at No. 4 is the University of South Florida in Tampa. Its total average cost per year is $20,078, which includes tuition and fees of $6,410, room and board charges of $12,568, and books and supplies costing $1,100.
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University of South Florida (USF) signage
And ranked at No. 41 is the University of Miami in Coral Gables — it costs an average of $74,778 a year to attend. Average tuition and fees are $57,194, room and board are $16,530, and books and supplies average to $1,054.
UM is also considered the No. 1 best college in Florida for 2023-24, the most popular college in the state, and ranks No. 38 overall among the best colleges in the country.
What college in Florida has a 100 acceptance rate?
List of All Colleges in Florida With High Acceptance Rates.
What Florida college is the easiest to get into?
The easiest colleges to get into in Florida are Broward College, Indian River State College, Keiser University – Fort Lauderdale, College of Central Florida, and Herzing University – Orlando. These universities focus less on past academic performance and more on providing quality education to all students.
Which US university has lowest fees?
Top 10 low tuition fee universities in the USA.
Nicholls State University..
Dakota State University..
Brigham Young University..
California State University..
Mississippi University for Women..
Eastern New Mexico University..
University of Nevada at Reno..
Minnesota State University Moorhead..
Why is Florida tuition so low?
“The significant investments Governor DeSantis and legislative leaders have made in higher education are pivotal to holding down the tuition and fee costs for Florida's students, even as they rise across the country,” said Brian Lamb, Chair of the Board of Governors.