Why This Matters

  • 120+ COLLEGES IN FLORIDA

    College Navigator indicates that there are 42 public colleges, 55 private non-profit colleges, and 24 private for-profit colleges in the state.

  • $6,370 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    According to College Board, students attending a public, four-year college should expect to pay this amount in the 2020-21 school year.

  • $14,940 IN FINANCIAL AID TO U.S. STUDENTS

    College Board also estimates that in 2019-20, the average U.S. undergraduate student received this amount in total financial aid.

Our Research

We’ve compiled a list of both public and private institutions in Florida. Liberal arts programs and technical degrees are included as well. This list also specifies whether the school offers programs online, in-person, or with a hybrid of the two formats.

In curating our list of the best colleges in Florida, we also considered accreditations. Accreditations ensure the school’s educational quality standards. The schools on this list are primarily accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), one of the six regional accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. SACSCOC stands by values that include integrity, quality improvement, accountability, and transparency.

We evaluated each program on the basis of flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score for each program on a scale from 0 to 100. For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology.

  • 75 hours to write this article
  • 150 universities and colleges we assessed
  • 314 education programs we compared

The Top 50 Colleges in Florida

Best Colleges In Florida
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What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Florida

A major part of choosing your career or the state in which you’ll pursue an education is the potential for employment and career growth. The industry that employs the most college graduates in Florida is trade, transportation, and utilities. This is followed by professional and business services, education and health services, retail trade, and government.

The fastest-growing career fields in Florida are in the information and analysis sector, many of which are employed in the hospitality industry. These are software developers, information security analysts, market research analysts and marketing specialists, statistical assistants, and operations research analysts.

Of the 50 largest employers in the state, job seekers with a bachelor’s degree may be interested in looking for jobs in Palm Beach County Schools, AdventHealth Orlando, Epcot in Disney World, Edelman, or Raymond James.

What’s Next?

Many students’ main concern is how to cover the cost of tuition. The following list includes some helpful state and national resources for securing financial aid in Florida:

  • Florida Department of Education. This department provides students with information regarding state scholarships and grants. Its mission is to facilitate higher education access by providing comprehensive financial aid information about various products available to college students.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA is the national application for federal funding, which can include the Pell grant, Stafford loans, and other state or national fund sources that are based on the information you list on the FAFSA. Find out if you’re eligible for aid by following this link, or click here to apply.
  • CareerOneStop. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, this website provides prospective students with valuable financial aid information. You can filter this source by degree type and state to find resources for your specific situation.