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UF Is Still the Top College Value in Florida
Bottom Line: Florida’s been full of great stories in recent years, pandemic notwithstanding. Whether it’s been the fastest job growth of any state in the country over the past year, along with the largest wage increases - or longer-term trends like our collegiate education system – there’s been a lot to like this side of traffic for many years. Speaking of Florida’s colleges, we’ve continued to receive increased national attention from an ever-improving collegiate experience and value. Notably, U.S. News & World Report has named Florida the number one state for higher education value for five consecutive years. That’s been based on improving academic performance, well below average tuition increases and outcomes. SmartAsset also produces an annual best value list within each state. For the fifth consecutive year the University of Florida is the top overall value in our state – with Florida State 2nd and the University of Central Florida 3rd. But even beyond the top three, the Florida higher education value story is a great one.
Average cost of college nationally:
- $16,073 (tuition)
Average student retention rate nationally:
- 71%
Florida’s average cost of college:
- $14,202 (tuition)
Florida’s average retention rate:
- 71%
So, the average Florida college has outcomes in line with the national average but with tuition that’s $1,871, or 13% cheaper than the national average. That’s a great story to be sure but back to the University of Florida. In context, the story is that impressive. UF’s tuition rate averages $6,381, or 60% less than the national average, with a retention rate of 97% - or 26% above the national average. It’s the latest reminder that the days of parents having to send their children out of state for great collegiate outcomes are long since gone.