University of Florida: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Gainesville, Florida · Public · Highly selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Florida admits roughly one in four applicants, with an overall admission rate of 24%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1397 and an ACT composite around 31. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $6,351 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Florida is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of Florida right now
The University of Florida is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville and the senior member of the State University System of Florida, with origins dating to 1853 and continuous Gainesville operations since 1906. UF enrolls roughly 60,000 students and is one of the largest and most selective public universities in the South, frequently ranked among the top public universities in U.S. News. Parents often note Florida's affordability story: in-state tuition remains among the lowest of any flagship public university, and Florida Bright Futures scholarships continue to subsidize tuition for qualifying state residents. Distinctive academic strengths include the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, the Warrington College of Business with its undergraduate Heavener honors track, and a nationally recognized AI initiative built around the HiPerGator supercomputer, which UF has used to embed artificial intelligence coursework across more than 200 majors. UF moved to the Common Application a few cycles ago, and parents should be aware that first-year applicants apply to a single fall start, with summer-only admission still used for a portion of admitted freshmen. Recent news that matters for families includes UF's continued participation in the SEC for athletics alongside its 2024 hiring of new university leadership and ongoing growth of its Jacksonville graduate campus. UF requires either SAT or ACT scores for first-year applicants, having ended a temporary test-optional policy after the pandemic, so parents should plan testing timelines accordingly.
What GPA does my child need for University of Florida?
Most admitted students at University of Florida present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Florida weight in admissions?
University of Florida reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Academic GPA
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Class rank
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Florida typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 650–750, with an EBRW midpoint near 685. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–33. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1330 |
| 50th percentile | 1400 |
| 75th percentile | 1470 |
| % submitting SAT | 80% |
| 25th percentile | 29 |
| 50th percentile | 31 |
| 75th percentile | 33 |
| % submitting ACT | 40% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 84% |
| Top 25% of class | 98% |
| Top 50% of class | 100% |
| % submitting class rank | 85% |
How much does University of Florida actually cost?
Published tuition is $6,381 for in-state students and $28,659 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $11,500 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $6,351 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 22% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $4,477 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $27,815 |
| Room and board | $12,615 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $6,351 |
| Application fee | $30 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Florida
| Regular deadline | 3/1 |
| Notification date | Second Friday in March |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 11/1 |
Will my child graduate from University of Florida?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Florida parents ask about
- University of Miami25% acceptance
- Florida State University59% acceptance
- University of Central Florida40% acceptance
- University of South Florida-Main Campus41% acceptance
- Florida International University59% acceptance
- University of North Florida57% acceptance
- Florida Atlantic University41% acceptance
- Florida Gulf Coast University86% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Florida
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Florida recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Florida
What GPA do I need for University of Florida?
Most admitted students at University of Florida present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Florida typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 650–750, with an EBRW midpoint near 685. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 28–33.
How much does University of Florida actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Florida after grants and scholarships is $6,351 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Florida realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Florida is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Florida, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.