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AlmaSpire

Fort Myers, FL · Public · 13,874 undergraduates · suburban

Florida Gulf Coast University

Less selective

FGCU’s Southwest Florida location shapes academics around water, environment, hospitality, business, health, and rapid regional growth.

FightingRaven531 / CC BY-SA 3.0

Institutional profile

Well established Strong in affordability, and solid in mobility.
Academic Steady Affordability Strong Career Steady Mobility Solid Experience Solid
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Strong
Career outcomes Steady
Mobility Solid
Student experience Solid
Admission
76.8% admitted

16,050 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
63.1%

$54,560 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Florida Gulf Coast University apart

Academic design

The Water School connects water-focused science and policy with broader programs in business, health, engineering, education, and hospitality.

Campus pattern

Fort Myers-area campus incorporates wetlands, lakes, and preserved natural land.

Career & value signal

Southwest Florida growth supports healthcare, construction, tourism, hospitality, environmental, and business opportunities.

Can I get in?

76.8% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

16,050

About 77 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 76.8%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1040–1210
9201320
ACT middle 50%20–25
1728

Of admitted students, 81% submitted an SAT, and 45% submitted an ACT. A score is the norm in this class, and an application without one stands out.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

Admission by residency

Harder from out of state

Degree-seeking, first-time, first-year students · Fall 2024

Florida Gulf Coast University admitted 88.1% of Florida applicants and 53.2% of applicants from other states. Residents were admitted at 1.7 times the out-of-state rate. Florida students took 81% of the seats in the entering class.

In-state88.1% admitted

5,489 admitted from 6,229 applicants

Out-of-state53.2% admitted

7,301 admitted from 13,712 applicants

International35.1% admitted

166 admitted from 473 applicants

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Florida Gulf Coast University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Florida Gulf Coast University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

The Water School connects water-focused science and policy with broader programs in business, health, engineering, education, and hospitality.

02

Make institutional fit specific

FGCU’s Southwest Florida location shapes academics around water, environment, hospitality, business, health, and rapid regional growth.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionMar 1
Fee and waiver$30 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Health professionsAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$25,196
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$13,000
Affordability profileStrong

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Florida Gulf Coast University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years63.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one83.1%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$54,560

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General

Recent graduates285
Median earnings$48,879

Psychology, General

Recent graduates276
Median earnings$52,722

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates190
Median earnings$66,349

Admits separately

Biology, General

Recent graduates149
Median earnings$53,352

What is campus life like?

Florida Gulf Coast University beyond the classroom

Fort Myers-area campus incorporates wetlands, lakes, and preserved natural land.

Academics

A defining academic feature

The Water School connects water-focused science and policy with broader programs in business, health, engineering, education, and hospitality.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Fort Myers-area campus incorporates wetlands, lakes, and preserved natural land.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Southwest Florida growth supports healthcare, construction, tourism, hospitality, environmental, and business opportunities.

13,874 undergraduatesSoutheastsuburban setting74% of first-year students live on campus