#228 in the world · QS 2027

University of Florida

Florida's flagship land-grant university, with six health-science colleges on one Gainesville campus and a 20% admit rate.

Gainesville, Florida, United States Public land-grant research university Founded 1853 Official website

See my chances at UF Admissions office

Photo: Kate Haskell · CC BY 2.0

Acceptance rate: 20%; First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)
Students: 57,401; 37,283 undergraduates
Student–faculty: 17:1; ratio
Tuition: $34,620; 2026-27
Founded: 1853

About UF

The University of Florida traces its roots to the East Florida Seminary, which began classes in 1853, and took its modern form in 1905 when the state merged its public institutions; it moved to Gainesville soon after. Today it is Florida's land-grant flagship and a member of the Association of American Universities, with 57,401 students in fall 2025, 37,283 of them undergraduates. Its 16 colleges range from Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to the Warrington College of Business and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

UF says it is the only U.S. university with six health-science colleges on a single campus, which anchors UF Health, and the university invented Gatorade in 1965. In 2020 it partnered with NVIDIA on a $70 million project to build a university-owned AI supercomputer and bring artificial intelligence into teaching across the curriculum.

Admission has become highly selective: UF admitted about 20% of more than 90,000 first-year applicants for fall 2025, and the middle 50% of admitted students for 2026 had a recalculated weighted GPA of 4.5 to 4.7. SAT, ACT or CLT scores are required by Florida law. It suits strong students who want SEC sports, a large research university and, for Floridians, one of the lowest in-state price tags among top public universities.

Civium in moribus rei publicae salus

“The welfare of the state depends upon the morals of its citizens” — university motto

Why students choose UF

In-state tuition and fees are about $6,440 a year for 2026-27, and UF ranks among the U.S. News top 10 public universities for the 10th straight year.

Six health-science colleges share one campus with UF Health, giving pre-health students unusual access to medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, public health and veterinary medicine.

The Innovation Academy runs on a spring and summer schedule and embeds an innovation minor into more than 25 majors, leaving each fall free for internships, research or study abroad.

UF's AI initiative, built around an NVIDIA-backed supercomputer, brings artificial intelligence into courses across the university.

Admissions

First-years who entered in fall 2025 (2025-26 Common Data Set)

About 1 in 5 applicants is admitted

18,403 admitted from 90,523 applicants

SAT 1330–1490

1000120014001600

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

ACT 29–33

2024283236

Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.

Fall 2025 admit rates by residency: 22% for Florida residents (9,387 of 42,172), 21% for out-of-state applicants (8,086 of 39,420) and 10% for international applicants (930 of 8,931). 7,619 first-years enrolled.

Testing Required: SAT, ACT or Classic Learning Test (CLT) for fall 2027 under Florida Board of Governors regulation; UF superscores and has no test preference. ACT superscores use English, Reading and Math only.

Grades Average high school GPA of enrolled fall 2025 first-years was 3.9 (CDS, 95% reporting). UF recalculates a core weighted GPA: AP, IB, AICE and dual-enrollment courses get an extra 1.0, honors and pre-AP/IB/AICE courses 0.5. The middle 50% of students admitted in 2026 (Class of 2030) had a recalculated GPA of 4.5-4.7, SAT 1420-1520 and ACT 32-35.

Typical entry requirements

Florida minimum academic units	16 units: 4 English (with substantial writing), 4 math at Algebra 1 or above, 3 natural science (2 with lab), 3 social science and 2 sequential years of one foreign language; most admitted students far exceed these
International secondary school	Four years of secondary transcripts with certified English translations plus a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA from a NACES member, received by the materials deadline

Deadlines

Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 9 days

October 15, 2026

Binding, single-choice. Materials due October 22; decisions by December 11, 2026; admitted students must confirm by January 8 and withdraw other applications.
Early Action Non-binding In 26 days

November 1, 2026

Materials due November 8; decisions January 22; outcomes are admit, deny or defer.
Regular Decision Non-binding In ~3 months

January 15, 2027

Materials due January 22; decisions March 19; outcomes include waitlist and Santa Fe College Pathways.

The materials deadline (STARS or transcripts, and test scores) is one week after each application deadline. Enrollment confirmation for early action and regular decision admits is May 1; official test scores are due May 1 and final transcripts July 1.

How to apply

Common App only, with the UF supplement (short-answer questions) and personal essay; $30 fee or waiver. After applying, complete the STARS self-reported transcript in the Gator Portal (non-U.S. curricula send transcripts and a credential evaluation instead) and self-report or send SAT, ACT or CLT scores. Honors and Innovation Academy require extra essays.

What admissions looks for

Rigor of your curriculum and a strong recalculated core GPA, which the CDS rates very important.
Consistent extracurricular involvement and talent that shows your interests and how you contributed to your school, community or family.
SAT, ACT or CLT scores and the quality of thought in your admission essay, both rated important.
Character, volunteer work and work experience, plus personal background and experiences that show potential to succeed in a rigorous environment.
Context: UF says it reviews what each student accomplished within their own opportunities and challenges; class rank, recommendations and interviews are not considered.

Tips for applying to UF

1 Pick your round deliberately: early decision (October 15) is binding, early action (November 1) is not, and only regular decision offers a waitlist or Santa Fe College Pathways.
2 Fill in the STARS exactly as your transcript reads and before the materials deadline; it locks after that date.
3 Send every sitting of the SAT, ACT or CLT: UF superscores, and the ACT science section no longer counts.
4 Apply to Honors via the Common App essay if you want a shot at the Stamps Scholarship: Honors admits from ED and EA are invited to apply.

What are your chances?

Costs & financial aid

2026-27 · figures in USD

Florida residents, tuition and fees for incoming freshmen (projected, 30 credit hours) Tuition $6,440

+ living expenses, on or off campus (uf budget estimate) $14,190 ≈ $20,630 per year

Out-of-state and international students, tuition and fees for incoming freshmen (projected) Tuition $34,620

+ living expenses, on or off campus (uf budget estimate) $14,190 ≈ $48,810 per year

Tuition Living expenses, on or off campus (UF budget estimate)

Official cost of attendance $25,830

Financial aid

UF met on average 97% of need for aided undergraduates in 2025-26. Florida residents can combine UF's Presidential Scholarships ($5,000-$10,000 a year) with Bright Futures and the Benacquisto Scholarship, and the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars program gives first-generation, low-income students a full grant and scholarship package. Out-of-state tuition waivers of up to $20,000 a year (Gator Nation Scholarship) are awarded on merit, and admitted international freshmen are considered for these waivers.

$25,830 Florida resident; $54,010 out-of-state
Total cost of attendance 2026-27: 97%; 6,564 of 11,307 aided students with need had it fully met
Average share of need met (full-time undergraduates, 2025-26 CDS): $20,925
Average need-based aid package: About 10% each year
Admitted freshmen receiving a UF merit scholarship

Academics

Academic calendar: Semesters

Health sciences (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Public Health and Health Professions, Veterinary Medicine)

UF says it is the only U.S. university with six health-science colleges on one campus, alongside UF Health.

Innovation Academy

A four-year pathway with an innovation minor in 25+ majors, taught on a spring and summer calendar.

University Honors Program

Smaller enriched classes, specialized advising and Honors Village housing; Honors ED and EA admits can apply for the Stamps Scholarship.

Artificial intelligence across the curriculum

Built on UF's $70 million partnership with NVIDIA for a university-owned AI supercomputer.

Agricultural and Life Sciences

The land-grant college tied to UF/IFAS, with ties to every Florida county.

Research

Gatorade was developed by UF scientists in 1965 to keep Gator athletes hydrated.
A $70 million partnership with NVIDIA created a university-owned AI supercomputer at the center of UF's AI initiative.
UF Health, the academic medical center, grew from the colleges of medicine and nursing that opened in 1956 and a teaching hospital opened in 1958.

Schools & faculties

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Warrington College of Business
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
College of Journalism and Communications
College of the Arts
College of Design, Construction and Planning
College of Education
College of Health and Human Performance
College of Medicine
College of Nursing
Levin College of Law

Graduation rate

92%

First-year students who return

97%

College Scorecard: median earnings of $71,588 ten years after entry (and $56,398 six years after entry) for federally aided students.

Student life

UF is a classic big-campus college town experience: about 2,000 acres in Gainesville centred on the historic district around Century Tower, a 157-foot carillon. The Reitz Union is the hub for student organizations, with lounges, study spaces, a game room and a movie theater. Game days revolve around the Florida Gators, who compete in NCAA Division I and the Southeastern Conference, and fraternities and sororities are a visible part of the social scene. Honors students can live in Honors Village, which combines housing, advising and coursework.

Florida Gators athletics in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), NCAA Division I.
Honors Village: four residence hall buildings combining living, advising, coursework and recreation for Honors students.
The Reitz Union, expanded in 2016 with new space for student organizations and a movie theater.
UF students and alumni had won 143 Olympic medals as of 2021, 69 of them gold.

Housing. First-year students apply for residence halls through UF Housing and Residence Life; Honors students can choose the Honors Village living-learning community.

Location

Gainesville is a mid-sized college town in north-central Florida where the university dominates daily life. The main campus covers about 2,000 acres, with its historic district around Century Tower and Lake Alice on campus. Students face a lower cost of living than in Florida's big coastal cities, with UF budgeting $14,190 a year for living expenses.

Nearest airport: Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV)

Notable alumni

RH
Robert H. Grubbs

Co-recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; BS 1963 and MS 1965 from UF
MW
Marshall Warren Nirenberg

Nobel Prize-winning biochemist who helped crack the genetic code; BS 1948 and MS 1952 from UF
MR
Marco Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State and former U.S. senator from Florida; attended UF
ES
Emmitt Smith

NFL all-time leading rusher; played three seasons for the Florida Gators
TT
Tim Tebow

Heisman Trophy winner and quarterback of two BCS national championship teams at Florida
EA
Erin Andrews

Sports broadcaster; BA in telecommunication from UF, 2000

Frequently asked questions

What is the University of Florida acceptance rate?

UF admitted 18,403 of 90,523 first-year applicants for fall 2025, about 20%. The rate was 22% for Florida residents, 21% for out-of-state applicants and 10% for international applicants.

Does UF require the SAT or ACT?

Yes. Florida's public universities require an SAT, ACT or CLT score, and UF superscores all three. The middle 50% of enrolled fall 2025 first-years scored 1330-1490 on the SAT or 29-33 on the ACT.

Does UF have early decision?

Yes. For fall 2027 UF offers binding early decision (apply by October 15, 2026, decisions by December 11), nonbinding early action (November 1) and regular decision (January 15, 2027).

What GPA do you need for UF?

UF recalculates a weighted core GPA, and the middle 50% of students admitted in 2026 had 4.5 to 4.7 on that scale. The CDS reports an average high school GPA of 3.9 for enrolled fall 2025 first-years.

How much does UF cost for out-of-state students?

UF's 2026-27 cost of attendance is $54,010 for out-of-state students, including $34,620 in tuition and fees, versus $25,830 for Florida residents. Limited merit waivers of up to $20,000 a year reduce out-of-state tuition for selected students, including admitted international freshmen.

Sources & methodology

Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.