Admit rate has ranged 23%–35% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
The University of Florida is a powerhouse public research university where ambition meets sunshine. With a 19.8% acceptance rate and middle-50% SAT scores of 1380-1510, UF has become Florida's most selective public institution, attracting top students to its nationally ranked programs in business, engineering, and healthcare. Beyond academics, UF pulses with school spirit—think Gator chomps, 1,000+ student organizations, and a campus where 80% of students report feeling 'extremely safe.' Its $6,541 average annual cost after aid makes it a rare blend of prestige and affordability.
Admission requirements
Test scores required
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
35,629
In-state tuition
$6,381
Out-of-state tuition
$28,659
Campus Safety
80% feel 'extremely safe'
Acceptance Rate
19.8% (Class of 2029)
Graduation Rate
89%
Student Organizations
1,000+
Median Early-Career Salary
$56,000
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$71,588
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
10.9×
Median debt at graduation
$15,000
Graduation rate
91%
First-year retention
98%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
69%
Pell (lower-income) share
67%
First-generation share
31%
Endowment / student
$68,716
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Computer and Information Sciences, General$79,037
Computer Engineering$77,715
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$75,405
Systems Engineering$74,279
Chemical Engineering$73,145
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician$71,644
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
30
Per 1,000 students
0.84
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
129
Summer high
90°F
Winter low
50°F
Annual rain
49.2"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively Moderate
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
1,247
Scholarly works
360,302
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Future-scholar output
Science & engineering PhDstop 6 nationally
Humanities & social-science PhDstop 7 nationally
Share of this school’s graduates who go on to earn research doctorates (2010–20), by national rank and per-capita yield (NSF institutional-yield ratio). A signal of a research-oriented student culture — not a causal promise, since it partly reflects who enrolls. Only top producers appear. Source: NSF NCSES, Baccalaureate Origins of U.S. Research Doctorate Recipients.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at University of Florida?
University of Florida's acceptance rate is approximately 24% (Gainesville, FL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for University of Florida?
Admitted students at University of Florida typically score 1320–1480 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does University of Florida cost?
At University of Florida, the average net price (after aid) is about $6,541 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend University of Florida?
University of Florida enrolls approximately 35,629 undergraduate students.
Where is University of Florida located?
University of Florida is located in Gainesville, FL.
Admissions
Getting into UF is no longer the safety school scenario of decades past—the Class of 2029 saw a 19.8% acceptance rate, down sharply from previous years. Admitted students typically boast weighted GPAs of 4.5-4.7 (middle 50%), with SAT scores between 1380-1510 and ACT scores of 31-34. The university emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone. but makes no secret of its academic rigor: 89% of freshmen graduate in the top 10% of their high school class. Notably, UF's YieldThe share of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Colleges watch it closely, which is why some weigh how interested you seem. rate (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) has climbed steadily, reflecting its growing reputation as Florida's flagship public university.
UF operates like a consortium of elite colleges—its Warrington College of Business and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering are particularly renowned, but the university offers across 16 colleges. The most popular majors cluster in business (especially finance and marketing), engineering (notably mechanical and biomedical), and biological sciences—a reflection of UF's strong pre-med pipeline. Reddit threads and Quora posts consistently highlight the , with one student noting UF is 'very much a healthcare, business and engineering school.' The sheer breadth of options allows for quirky interdisciplinary combinations, like pairing aerospace engineering with sustainability studies.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$68,965
Materials Engineering$67,660
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
2.6%
Bottom → top quintile
43%
From bottom quintile
6%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Life at UF is a study in controlled chaos—1,000+ student organizations (from Quidditch teams to AI research clubs), a Greek system that draws 20% of undergrads, and football Saturdays that turn Gainesville into a sea of orange and blue. The Division of Student Life champions 'meaningful experiences,' which translates to everything from midnight kayaking at Lake Wauburg to hackathons in the Marston Science Library. Safety is a standout: 80% of students report feeling 'extremely secure' on campus, per Niche surveys. The vibe? 'There's something for everyone,' as one Redditor put it—whether you're into SEC tailgates or niche academic societies.
UF graduates enter the workforce with a tangible edge—the median first-year earnings for bachelor's holders is $56,000, the highest among Florida's public universities. The 89% graduation rate (per College Scorecard) outpaces most publics, and within six months of graduating, 94% of students are employed or in grad school. Pre-professional tracks deliver particularly strong returns: engineering alumni often land at Lockheed Martin or SpaceX, while business grads funnel into Deloitte and JP Morgan. The Career Connections Center provides granular data by major, revealing that even humanities grads outperform national averages, with philosophy majors reporting $45,000 median early-career salaries.
UF's value proposition is staggering—the average net price after aid is just $6,541/year, with 50% of students receiving financial aid packages averaging $14,201. Even the sticker price ($31,360 for in-state students including room/board) undercuts most peers. The university leverages its status as a top-5 public school to keep costs down: state funding and a massive endowment ($2.3B) allow for programs like the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship, which covers up to 100% of tuition for qualifying residents. Out-of-state students pay $35,980 total—still a bargain compared to private alternatives with similar outcomes.
UF has cracked the code on combining elite academics with unabashed school spirit—where else can you attend a top-5 public university, then join 90,000 fans to chomp along with the Gator Marching Band? Its 19.8% acceptance rate now rivals many Ivies, yet it remains accessible to middle-class Floridians through aggressive financial aid. The campus hums with research energy (UF spends $1B annually on R&D) but never takes itself too seriously—witness the annual 'Gator Growl' homecoming comedy show or students rubbing Albert the Alligator's nose for exam luck. In a state known for transient populations, UF cultivates fierce loyalty: its alumni network of 415,000 spans NASA astronauts, Nobel laureates, and the inventor of Gatorade.
University of Florida logo · sourceVisiting Campus | University of Florida · sourceUniversity of Florida – College Right · sourceA Comprehensive Guide: Tour The University of Florida Campus · source
