The scores. The deadlines. The cost after Bright Futures. Here’s what Florida families should compare before choosing UF or FSU.
For Florida families · Fall 2026 admitted profiles · 2026–27 application cycle · Checked September 11, 2026
These are the universities’ published admitted-student ranges. They describe past admission outcomes, not the minimum score needed to apply. Enrolled-student statistics describe a different group: students who accepted an offer and attended.
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| What to compare | University of Florida | Florida State University |
|---|---|---|
| SAT middle 50% | 1420–1520All admitted students, Class of 2030 (Fall 2026 entry) | 1380–1480All admitted students, Fall 2026 |
| GPA middle 50% | 4.5–4.7Published GPA definitions may differ; not the Bright Futures GPA. | 4.3–4.6Published GPA definitions may differ; not the Bright Futures GPA. |
| Population and source | All admitted students, Class of 2030 (Fall 2026 entry)Official admissions profile | All admitted students, Fall 2026Official admissions profile |
| Admission context | 19,012 admits from 95,986 applicants.About 19.8%, calculated from UF’s published Class of 2030 totals. This is not your student’s admission probability. | Holistic, selective review.The profile source does not provide a matched applicant/admit total. No unmatched rate is substituted here. |
| Read the full profile | UF SAT, GPA and admissions guide | FSU SAT, GPA and admissions guide |
UF labels this the Class of 2030 profile (updated July 1, 2026). FSU explicitly labels its figures Fall 2026. GPA scales and recalculation methods should be checked before comparing your report-card GPA.
Start with the difference between a scholarship threshold and an admissions profile. Then consider your coursework, grades, activities and application timeline.
Admissions context: Your current score is well below both published admitted ranges. It is a starting point, not a verdict on what your teen can achieve.
Bright Futures: This is below the FMS SAT targets of 1190 for 2027 graduates and 1200 for 2028 graduates.
Your next step: Start with a diagnostic to separate content gaps from timing problems. Build a realistic study schedule around the test dates left, and include colleges with a wider range of admission profiles.
Admissions context: This band is well below both UF’s 1420–1520 and FSU’s 1380–1480 admitted ranges.
Bright Futures: The next scholarship milestone is the FMS SAT target: 1190 for 2027 graduates or 1200 for 2028 graduates.
Your next step: Identify the math and reading skills costing the most points. Set a first milestone, check progress with practice tests and keep a balanced college list.
Admissions context: This band remains below both universities’ published admitted ranges.
Bright Futures: A 1190 meets the FMS SAT requirement for 2027 graduates. For 2028 graduates, the FMS SAT target is 1200. Lower scores in this band do not meet either SAT threshold.
Your next step: Use your exact score and graduation year to set the next target. Review missed questions by skill and plan a retake if your application timeline allows.
Admissions context: This band is below the lower end of both published admitted ranges.
Bright Futures: Scores throughout this band meet the FMS SAT requirement for 2027 and 2028 graduates. The FAS SAT targets are 1330 and 1350, respectively.
Your next step: Discuss whether the next test should focus on reaching FAS, strengthening your application profile, or both. Use diagnostic results and the time remaining to set a realistic plan.
Admissions context: Every score in this band is below UF’s published range. Scores of 1380 and 1390 fall inside FSU’s range; lower scores in the band fall below it.
Bright Futures: FMS SAT targets are met throughout this band. FAS requires 1330 for 2027 graduates or 1350 for 2028 graduates, so your exact score matters.
Your next step: Check the scholarship gap first. Then weigh another test against coursework and application deadlines. The examples below show how 1300 and 1350 differ.
Admissions context: Scores of 1400 and 1410 are below UF’s range; 1420–1490 fall inside it. Scores of 1400–1480 are inside FSU’s range, while 1490 is above it.
Bright Futures: This entire band meets the FAS SAT requirement for 2027 and 2028 graduates.
Your next step: Decide whether further testing is the best use of your remaining time. Consider grades, course rigor, essays and program requirements. Being inside or above a range does not make admission safe.
Admissions context: Scores of 1500–1520 are inside UF’s published range; higher scores are above it. This entire band is above FSU’s published range.
Bright Futures: This entire band meets the FAS SAT requirement for 2027 and 2028 graduates.
Your next step: You have cleared these scholarship SAT targets. Review whether another retake adds enough value, and prioritize the rest of the application. A high score does not guarantee admission.
Based on the Fall 2026 admitted profiles cited above and the official Bright Futures initial eligibility rules. SAT scores alone do not establish scholarship eligibility: GPA, approved hours and all other requirements still apply. These bands are planning guidance, not admission probabilities or promises of score improvement.
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| SAT | Relative to UF | Relative to FSU | Planning takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1300 | 120 below 1420 | 80 below 1380 | Discuss preparation and a balanced college list. |
| 1350 | 70 below 1420 | 30 below 1380 | Meets the FAS SAT threshold for 2027 and 2028 graduates; other scholarship criteria still apply. |
| 1400 | 20 below 1420 | Within 1380–1480 | Within FSU’s band does not make admission safe; decide whether another test is worthwhile. |
These are arithmetic comparisons with published ranges, not predicted admission outcomes. They do not establish the benefit of a particular score increase.
Bring your teen’s score and graduation year. We’ll discuss a target, the remaining test dates and a practical preparation plan.
Book your free Strategy SessionApplication, materials and score deadlines are separate. An official score-verification deadline after admission is not extra time to submit an initial application score.
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| Application plan | UF application / materials | FSU application / materials |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision · binding | Oct 15 / Oct 22, 2026 | Oct 15 / Oct 22, 2026 |
| Early Action · nonbinding | Nov 1 / Nov 8, 2026 | Oct 15 / Oct 22, 2026Florida residents only |
| Regular Decision | Jan 15 / Jan 22, 2027 | Dec 1 / Dec 8, 2026 |
These deadlines are for the 2026–27 application cycle. FSU confirms that its current application is for Summer/Fall 2027; verify your selected entry term before submitting. FSU ED excludes talent-based majors and CARE Summer Bridge. Sources: UF deadlines · FSU deadlines and eligibility · FSU entry-term confirmation.
UF requires SAT, ACT and/or CLT scores and superscores. Initial self-reported or official scores belong with the application materials; the published May 1 official-score deadline is a separate enrollment requirement.
Read UF’s testing policyFSU uses the highest earned test subscores. It requires an initial score by the materials deadline; its current schedule permits additional scores through December 1 for ED/EA and January 1 for RD. Report scores through FSU’s admissions portal.
Read FSU’s testing policyFor 2027 graduates, the FAS SAT threshold is 1330; for 2028 it is 1350. A 1300 clears the corresponding FMS SAT thresholds, but SAT alone does not establish eligibility. Check GPA, approved hours and the remaining conditions in the Bright Futures eligibility calculator.
Before estimating scholarship coverage, review the Bright Futures requirements by graduation year. Then use the eligibility calculator to check the relevant inputs.
Official initial eligibility rules · Estimate your Bright Futures GPA
$25,830
2026–27 Florida resident undergraduate budget, on/off campus.
30 credits across fall and spring.
$6,440 projected tuition/fees. These school budgets are not normalized to the same credit load.
View the official budget$26,018
2026–27 Florida resident undergraduate budget, on campus in Tallahassee.
26 credits across fall and spring.
$5,604 tuition plus $50 separately listed fees. These school budgets are not normalized to the same credit load.
View the official budgetChoose an award to see the same 30-credit year at each school. These estimates use Florida resident undergraduate rates for fall and spring, with living expenses based on the published campus budgets.
$19,390
Estimated annual budget remaining
Standard tuition/fees remaining: $0
$20,474
Estimated annual budget remaining
Standard tuition/fees remaining: $110
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| Award | UF tuition/fees left | UF total budget left | FSU tuition/fees left | FSU total budget left |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAS | $0 | $19,390 | $110 | $20,474 |
| FMS | $1,609 | $20,999 | $1,712 | $22,076 |
| No award | $6,436 | $25,826 | $6,517 | $26,881 |
Full Bright Futures does not mean a free year of college. In this example, housing, food and other expenses still leave roughly $19,400–$20,500 a year before other aid. The FAS-to-FMS difference is about $1,600 a year at either school.
UF: $214.54 × 30 credits = $6,436.20 standard tuition/fees. Add $19,390 in other expenses from its $25,830 published budget after removing its rounded $6,440 tuition estimate. FAS covers the standard rate; FMS is modeled at 75% ($4,827.15 for 30 credits).
FSU: $215.55 × 30 credits + $50 in two-semester facility/card fees = $6,516.50. Add $20,364 in other expenses from its $26,018 on-campus budget after removing $5,604 tuition and $50 fees. FAS: $213.55 × 30 = $6,406.50. FMS: the school’s published $160.16 × 30 = $4,804.80. FSU excludes the $2-per-credit facility fee, $20-per-semester facility fee and $5-per-semester card fee from Bright Futures.
We change tuition to the same credit load; living-cost assumptions remain each university’s own estimate. Course surcharges, health-insurance charges if applicable, other scholarships and grants, and family-specific spending are not modeled. These are planning estimates, not financial-aid offers or an official net-price calculator.
Sources: UF 2026–27 fee schedule · UF award rules · FSU fee schedule · FSU award rates and exclusions. Checked September 11, 2026.
A higher SAT range does not tell you which program fits your teen. Start with the degree they want, the work they would do and the requirements for entering that major.
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| Interest | UF | FSU |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | UF lists undergraduate degrees including mechanical, civil, electrical, aerospace and biomedical engineering. Compare the exact degree and its semester plan. UF engineering degree list | Engineering is offered through the joint FAMU–FSU College of Engineering. Pre-engineering advising begins at the home university; the engineering campus has transport connections to both main campuses. Build that commute into your visit. How the joint college works · Engineering bus routes |
| Accounting and business | UF’s accounting degree has a published sequence of accounting, business and critical-tracking courses. Its business school also sets progression requirements by major. UF accounting curriculum · UF business requirements | FSU’s accounting curriculum includes a business core and major requirements, with a combined BS/MAcc pathway available to qualifying students. Review the requirements to enter the major as well as the university. FSU accounting curriculum |
| Film and production | UF offers a Digital Film and Television Production specialization within its BS in Media Production, Management, and Technology. Coursework includes screenwriting and production alongside media law, ethics and industry study. UF film and television curriculum | FSU’s Motion Picture Arts BFA Production program uses a conservatory format, including rotating crew roles on student films. Review the film school’s application separately from general university admission. FSU production BFA · Film school admissions |
Our take: for film, the degree structure itself gives you a useful comparison. For engineering, the particular discipline and campus routine matter. For business, look past the college name and check the path into the major. These are differences to investigate, not blanket claims that one school is better.
In Fall 2025, FSU reported a larger share of undergraduate class sections with fewer than 20 students: about 57.7%, compared with 50.5% at UF. Both also reported classes with 100 or more students. Your teen’s major and course sequence will shape the classes they actually take.
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| Class section size | UF | FSU |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 20 students | 50.5% | 57.7% |
| 20–49 students | 38.5% | 30.3% |
| 50+ students | 11.0% | 12.0% |
| 100+ students (included above) | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| Total reported class sections | 3,256 | 4,702 |
Calculated from Section I-3 of the UF 2025–26 Common Data Set and FSU 2025–26 Common Data Set (select Section I). Rounded to one decimal. These percentages count sections, not the share of students sitting in each class size. Lab/discussion subsections, distance learning and individual instruction are excluded under the CDS definition.
Ask on your visit: “How large are the first-year courses in this major? Who teaches the labs? How do students get help when they are stuck?” A student-to-faculty ratio does not answer those questions.
Map a likely housing option to your teen’s academic buildings. Then add groceries, an evening activity and the trip home. A campus tour is useful; a realistic weekly routine is more useful.
Use the same checklist. For engineering, include the separate engineering campus and its bus connections. If your teen is drawn to government or policy work in the state capital, ask about specific internships, eligibility and application dates.
Have your teen choose two clubs or activities they would actually join at each school. Check meeting times, costs and whether a first-year student can participate. Visit a residence hall, eat a normal meal and ask a current student what surprised them. We have not scored either campus for “vibe”; that judgment should come from your teen’s visit.
Family checklist: compare actual housing quotes, meal arrangements, transport, travel home and the support your teen would use. Do not assume the school with the lower published budget will cost your household less.
Look up outcomes for the intended major before using a university-wide salary average to choose a school. UF publishes self-reported graduation survey outcomes; FSU provides destination data by college and major.
Explore UF student outcomes · Explore FSU salary and destination data
Compare the same graduation year, degree level and field. Check response rates, when students were surveyed and whether the figure includes students still looking for work. Ask each department about internships and employers recruiting for that specific program. We have not found a matched comparison here that supports declaring one university the earnings winner.
UF’s current admitted-student SAT band is higher. That is useful context, but it does not yield a personalized probability. Compare rigor, grades, the entry pathway and application requirements alongside scores.
No. An award can reduce tuition while living costs, travel, fees and other aid differ. Compare the same credit load and living arrangement, then use each actual aid offer.
If both fit the student’s goals and budget, discuss them within a balanced list. A binding Early Decision commitment changes that planning; review its terms before choosing it.
Bring your teen’s latest score, graduation year and college list. Your free 45-minute Zoom Strategy Session maps the score gap and a 6–12 week prep plan. You keep the plan either way.
Build your teen’s planPrepared by Florida Test Prep. Research checked September 11, 2026. Sources sit beside each table or claim. Admissions profiles, application cycles and budget years are labeled independently. Interpretation is guidance, not a university decision or admission forecast. Program examples are exploration starting points, not a ranking.
School admissions data, class sizes and cost estimates refer to different reporting periods, labeled in their sections. The current FSU profile does not supply a matched applicant/admit total; we do not substitute an older acceptance rate. University sources govern if policies change.