Florida college comparisons / UCF vs FIU
Is moving to Orlando worth the added living cost?
For Florida families · Sources checked September 11, 2026 · Profile years and populations labeled below
The academic comparison also needs a date label: UCF’s profile covers fall 2026 admits, while FIU’s dated Fall Direct profile covers fall 2025. Use them for orientation, not as a matched experiment.
| Measure | University of Central Florida | Florida International University |
|---|---|---|
| Published SAT range | 1310–1420 | 1250–1390 |
| Published GPA range | 4.11–4.57 | 4.10–4.60 |
| Who is included? | Fall 2026 admitted freshmen; profile updated August 2026 | Fall 2025 Fall Direct admitted students; older than the 2026 profiles |
| Primary source | Read the official profile | Read the official profile |
Swipe the table on a small screen. These are admitted profiles, not enrolled cohorts, application cutoffs or your student’s odds. GPA calculations differ by university and are not the Bright Futures GPA. The population and source labels above are part of the comparison; do not separate them from the numbers.
A 1300, 1350 or 1400 can mean something different at each university. These examples locate a score within the published profile; they do not estimate acceptance probabilities.
| SAT | UCF | FIU |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Below the published range | Below the published range |
| 1100 | Below the published range | Below the published range |
| 1200 | Below the published range | Below the published range |
| 1300 | Below the published range | Inside the published range |
| 1350 | Inside the published range | Inside the published range |
| 1400 | Inside the published range | Above the published range |
| 1500 | Above the published range | Above the published range |
UCF: this entire band is below its published range. FIU: this entire band is below its published range.
Start with a diagnostic, identify foundational gaps and keep several realistic college options. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this entire band is below its published range. FIU: this entire band is below its published range.
Start with a diagnostic, identify foundational gaps and keep several realistic college options. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this entire band is below its published range. FIU: this entire band is below its published range.
Start with a diagnostic, identify foundational gaps and keep several realistic college options. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this entire band is below its published range. FIU: this band crosses a published range boundary. Compare your exact score with 1250–1390.
Separate the scholarship target from the admission target and weigh a retake against coursework and deadlines. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this band crosses a published range boundary. Compare your exact score with 1310–1420. FIU: this entire band is inside its published range.
Separate the scholarship target from the admission target and weigh a retake against coursework and deadlines. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this band crosses a published range boundary. Compare your exact score with 1310–1420. FIU: this entire band is above its published range.
Review whether another test is the best use of your time alongside grades, applications and program requirements. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
UCF: this entire band is above its published range. FIU: this entire band is above its published range.
Review whether another test is the best use of your time alongside grades, applications and program requirements. Scores inside or above a range never guarantee admission.
Check your exact score:
At 1350: UCF — inside its published range; FIU — inside its published range.
2027 summer/fall: Early Action October 15, 2026; materials November 15; decisions December 4. Regular summer application/materials March 1, 2027; fall May 1. Early submission matters for limited merit funds.
Official dates and application requirements2027 entry: complete application and documents November 2, 2026 for the early round; next complete deadline December 16; final complete deadline March 2, 2027. Final decisions scheduled by April 2.
Official dates and application requirementsThese Florida public universities require an accepted standardized test for first-year admission. Check the school’s current SAT, ACT or CLT reporting instructions, superscoring rules and latest accepted test date before booking a retake. An application deadline may be earlier than a final score deadline; a scholarship or specialized program may close sooner.
For 2027 high-school graduates, the SAT targets are 1330 for FAS and 1190 for FMS. For 2028 graduates, they are 1350 and 1200. A 1300 clears the FMS SAT target in both years; a 1350 or 1400 clears the FAS SAT target. GPA, approved hours and all other requirements still apply.
At an eligible public university, FAS covers 100% and FMS 75% of eligible tuition and applicable fees. Housing, food, transport and personal expenses remain. The budgets below are the universities’ published 2026–27 Florida-resident on-campus estimates before aid. Their credit loads differ, so these totals are not a normalized price ranking.
| School | Before-aid budget | Published basis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCF | $26,272 | 28 credits | Official budget |
| FIU | $29,804 | Published full-time budget; credit basis not specified here | Official budget |
Where the budget gives a credit load, the calculations below subtract a matching fall/spring award from the published on-campus budget. These are planning estimates, not bills or financial-aid offers. They include living expenses and exclude other aid; rounded budget figures can leave small tuition differences.
| School / annual load | With FAS | With FMS | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCF (28 credits) | $20,328 | $21,814 | Award rules |
| FIU | Use the award notice for the actual credit load; the published budget does not specify a matching credit basis here. | Award rules | |
FIU award example: At 15 eligible credits in each of two terms, the published 2026–27 rates produce about $6,561 in FAS or $4,921 in FMS funding annually, including the stated per-term components. This is an award estimate, not the remaining cost of attendance.
Use the university’s award notice for your actual credit load: subtract that Bright Futures amount and other confirmed grants from your own tuition, housing and living budget. Do not subtract a 30-credit scholarship from a 26- or 28-credit budget. Loans are financing, not discounts.
Use our Bright Futures scholarship calculator to explore the scholarship side, then compare the living arrangements the family would actually choose.
Before estimating scholarship coverage, review the Bright Futures requirements by graduation year and Bright Futures GPA calculator. Then use the eligibility calculator to check the relevant inputs.
For hospitality, inspect FIU’s dedicated bachelor’s curriculum and campus. For nursing at UCF, check the specialized application and prerequisites. Then ask both departments how students gain relevant experience and whether those activities fit the weekly travel plan.
Nursing is a specialized admission decision. Compare the bachelor’s admission routes and prerequisites, not simply admission to UCF. Mechanical engineering, finance and biomedical sciences also appear among the leading intended majors in the admitted profile; popularity is not evidence of a better program.
Read the program’s own requirementsUCF’s main campus is in the Orlando area. Identify the campus for the intended program before comparing housing, commute or internship access; an Orlando address alone does not tell you the daily travel time.
Hospitality families should examine the hospitality and tourism management bachelor’s curriculum. Business and hospitality can put students at different locations: FIU lists business at Modesto Maidique Campus and hospitality at Biscayne Bay Campus. Verify where the required courses actually meet.
Read the program’s own requirementsThe choice between Modesto Maidique Campus and Biscayne Bay Campus can materially change a South Florida commute. Map home-to-campus travel at class times before deciding that living at home makes the plan workable.
Ask both departments for typical enrollment in the first-year courses your student would take, plus lab, discussion and upper-division sections. A university-wide student–faculty ratio is not average class size. Ask to see a normal first-year course schedule as well as any honors options.
Walk from likely housing to a required class, find tutoring and advising, and ask how students access projects or placements. For a commuter, add travel time and parking to the schedule. Internship access is useful only if the student can meet the requirements and make the journey.
Is moving to Orlando worth the added living cost? Bring your student’s current score report, grades, intended major, graduation year and realistic housing budget. We can help separate the next useful testing milestone from decisions that depend on program fit or admissions review.
Book a free 45-minute Zoom strategy session to discuss your student’s SAT goals and a practical prep plan. You do not need a perfect college list to start.
Book your free strategy sessionReviewed September 11, 2026 by Florida Test Prep. University and state sources govern admission and scholarship decisions. Planning advice on this page is our interpretation. Profile years are labeled rather than silently mixing admitted and enrolled statistics.