Top Florida Colleges

Learn about the Top Colleges and Universities in Florida

Florida has some excellent colleges and universities as well as a relatively affordable public university system. This list of the top Florida colleges includes large universities, small colleges, and both public and private institutions. The top colleges listed below vary so much in size and type of school that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking. Comparing a college like New College of Florida with fewer than 1,000 students to UCF with over 60,000 within a numerical ranking would be dubious at best. 

Eckerd College

Franklin Templeton Building at Eckerd College
Franklin Templeton Building at Eckerd College. Allen Grove

Flagler College

Proctor Library at Flagler College - The Main Library at Flagler College
Proctor Library at Flagler College - The Main Library at Flagler College. Photo by Allen Grove
  • Location: St. Augustine, Florida
  • Enrollment: 2,621 (2,614 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: Historic main building was once the Hotel Ponce de Leon; average class size of 20; low tuition and excellent value; located in a popular tourist town
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the Flagler College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Flagler

Florida Institute of Technology (FIT, Florida Tech)

Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology. Jamesontai / Wikimedia Commons
  • Location: Melbourne, Florida
  • Enrollment: 6,451 (3,629 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private technical research university
  • Distinctions: Strong science and engineering programs; strong ROTC program; good value; 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; 30-acre botanical garden; significant online programs; Division II athletics
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the Florida Tech profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Florida Tech

Florida International University

FIU - Florida International University
FIU - Florida International University. Comayagua99 / Wikimedia Commons

Florida State University

Florida State University
Florida State University. J-a-x / Flickr
  • Location: Tallahassee, Florida
  • Enrollment: 41,173 (32,933 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public research university
  • Distinctions: Flagship campus of Florida's state university system; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; Seminole's compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the Florida State profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Florida State

New College of Florida

Cook Hall at New College of Florida
Cook Hall at New College of Florida. Photo Credit: Allen Grove

Rollins College

Rollins College
Rollins College. mwhaling / Flickr
  • Location: Winter Park, Florida
  • Enrollment: 3,240 (2,642 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: comprehensive private liberal arts college
  • Distinctions: 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio; located on the shores of Lake Virginia; top rated among master's-level universities in the South; strong commitment to international learning; member of the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the Rollins College profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Rollins

Stetson University

Stetson University
Stetson University. kellyv / Flickr
  • Location: DeLand, Florida
  • Enrollment: 4,357 (3,089 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: small private comprehensive university
  • Distinctions: Historic campus; 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; popular pre-professional programs; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Sun Conference
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the Stetson University profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Stetson

University of Central Florida (UCF)

UCF
UCF. bluemodern / Flickr
  • Location: Orlando, Florida
  • Enrollment: 64,088 (55,723 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public research university
  • Distinctions: Burnett Honors College offers a more intimate educational experience for high achieving students; 12 satellite campuses; 30 to 1 student / faculty ratio; UCF Knights compete in the NCAA Division 1 American Athletic Conference
  • Explore the Campus: UCF Photo Tour
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the UCF profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for UCF

University of Florida

University of Florida
University of Florida. randomduck / Flickr

University of Miami

University of Miami
University of Miami. SeanLucas / Flickr
  • Location: Coral Gables, Florida
  • Enrollment: 16,744 (10,792 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: private research university
  • Distinctions: Top-rated program in Marine Biology; popular business and nursing programs; diverse student population; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 12 to 1 student/faculty ratio; Hurricanes compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the University of Miami profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Miami

University of South Florida (USF)

USF Water Tower
USF Water Tower. sylvar / Flickr
  • Location: Tampa, Florida
  • Enrollment: 42,861 (31,461 undergraduates)
  • Type of Institution: public research university
  • Distinctions: 180 undergraduate majors offered through 14 colleges; diverse student body; Honors College for ​high-achieving students; strong ROTC program; active Greek system; Bulls compete in the Division I Big East Conference
  • For more information and admissions data, visit the USF profile
  • GPA, SAT and ACT graph for USF

More Top Colleges and Universities

South Atlantic Region
South Atlantic Region.

If you're interested in attending college in the South but aren't limiting your search to Florida, be sure to check out these articles:

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Grove, Allen. "Top Florida Colleges." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/top-florida-colleges-788306. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). Top Florida Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-florida-colleges-788306 Grove, Allen. "Top Florida Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-florida-colleges-788306 (accessed March 29, 2024).