State Hub

Colleges in Florida

CampusPin tracks 163 colleges in Florida, 117 universities and 46 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

163

Universities

117

Community colleges

46

Avg. in-state tuition

$17k

About college search in Florida

How Florida's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Florida operates one of the more tightly coordinated public higher-education systems in the country. The State University System of Florida (SUS) runs 12 public universities including the University of Florida (Gainesville flagship), Florida State (Tallahassee), the University of South Florida (Tampa), the University of Central Florida (Orlando, one of the largest U.S. universities by enrollment), Florida International (Miami), and Florida A&M (the state’s public HBCU). The separate Florida College System operates 28 institutions that combine community-college pathways with selected four-year baccalaureate programs.

Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship covers a substantial portion of tuition at SUS universities and Florida College System institutions for eligible in-state students who meet GPA and test-score thresholds. The 2+2 transfer pathway from a Florida College System institution to an SUS university is formalized and widely used. The state has multiple distinct regional metros (Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville), each with its own anchor public university.

State University System (12 institutions)

SUS coordinates 12 public universities including UF, FSU, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, UWF, UNF, FAMU, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Polytechnic, and New College.

Florida College System (28 institutions)

Florida’s 28 community and state colleges combine two-year transfer pathways with selected four-year baccalaureate programs. The 2+2 transfer to SUS is formalized.

Bright Futures Scholarship

Bright Futures covers a substantial portion of in-state tuition at SUS universities and Florida College System institutions for eligible students meeting GPA and test-score thresholds.

FAMU as the public HBCU

Florida A&M University in Tallahassee is the state’s public HBCU and an 1890 land-grant institution.

Public university system

State University System of Florida (SUS), 12 institutions

SUS coordinates Florida’s public universities: UF, FSU, USF, UCF, FIU, FAU, UWF, UNF, FAMU, FGCU, Florida Polytechnic, and New College of Florida.

Community college network

Florida College System (28 institutions)

The Florida College System operates 28 institutions that combine two-year transfer pathways with selected four-year baccalaureate programs. The 2+2 transfer agreement to SUS is the formal articulation path.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Florida in-state public tuition is among the lower rates in the U.S., the state legislature has historically kept SUS in-state tuition relatively flat. The Bright Futures Scholarship can further reduce in-state cost. Out-of-state rates are substantially higher; residency rules in Florida are scrutinized closely.

Top metros for college search

Where Florida's higher-education density concentrates

  • Miami / South Florida

    Miami concentrates the University of Miami (private), Florida International (FIU), Miami Dade College, and several specialized arts and health institutions.

  • Orlando / Central Florida

    Orlando hosts the University of Central Florida (UCF, one of the largest U.S. universities by enrollment), Valencia College, and Rollins (private).

  • Tampa Bay

    Tampa Bay is anchored by the University of South Florida (USF), the University of Tampa (private), and Hillsborough Community College.

  • Tallahassee

    Tallahassee is the state capital and the home of Florida State University (FSU), Florida A&M (FAMU, HBCU), and Tallahassee State College.

  • Gainesville

    Gainesville is built around the University of Florida (UF), the state’s primary public flagship and land-grant institution.

  • Jacksonville

    Jacksonville hosts the University of North Florida (UNF), Jacksonville University (private), Edward Waters University (HBCU), and Florida State College at Jacksonville.

What Florida actually costs

Median net price after grants
$17,877 for families under $30,000
$23,860 at $110,000 or more
Across 84 Florida colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$17,561 with 48.1% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
30% of Florida students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Florida

Showing the 100 largest by enrollment of 163, grouped A to Z. Enrollment reflects size only and is not a measure of quality. Use search or filters to see the rest.

Filter all Florida schools

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South region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Florida

Across Florida (FL), CampusPin currently indexes 163 institutions: 41 public and 122 private, split between 117 universities and 46 community colleges. Students often compare fast-growing metros, flagship publics, regional campuses, and cost-sensitive pathways across a wide mix of institutions.

Run one search for broad public options and another for community-college or commuter-oriented pathways.
Check campus setting and support services early because regional fit can vary more than names alone suggest.
Keep cost, transfer, and online flexibility visible if location is important but not completely fixed.

Browse by major

Florida colleges by program

Jump straight to Florida colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Florida.

Fields with a distinct set of Florida colleges

132 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Florida are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. Showing the 36 with the most colleges. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Florida hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Florida so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Florida

Explore all colleges in FloridaView community colleges in FloridaView online programs in FloridaRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Florida

Which is the public flagship university in Florida?
The University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville is the state’s primary public flagship and land-grant institution. Florida State University in Tallahassee is the second major public research university.
How does the Bright Futures Scholarship work?
Florida’s Bright Futures Scholarship covers a substantial portion of in-state tuition at SUS universities and Florida College System institutions for eligible Florida residents who meet GPA, test-score, and community-service thresholds. Award levels and eligibility rules are revised periodically, verify current details with the Florida Department of Education and the institution.
How does the Florida 2+2 transfer pathway work?
Florida’s 2+2 articulation agreement gives students who complete an Associate in Arts (AA) degree at any Florida College System institution guaranteed admission to one of the 12 State University System universities. Program-specific or limited-access majors may have additional requirements, verify with both institutions.
How many HBCUs are in Florida?
Florida has four HBCUs: Florida A&M University (FAMU, public, Tallahassee), Bethune-Cookman University (private, Daytona Beach), Edward Waters University (private, Jacksonville), and Florida Memorial University (private, Miami Gardens).
What is the largest university in Florida by enrollment?
The University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando is one of the largest universities in the U.S. by enrollment, alongside the University of Florida and Florida International University. Exact enrollment rankings vary year to year.
How many Florida colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
74 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 254 Florida schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 107: 39 came off and 6 were added. Every one is named in the Florida section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Florida colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 22 of the 84 Florida colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $17,877. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 27 (median $20,310). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Florida search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Florida

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Florida in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Florida.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Florida

More ways to explore Florida colleges

By city

Colleges in Florida cities

CampusPin publishes a directory for 7 cities in Florida, every one where federal data reports at least five colleges.

Browse colleges by city nationwide

What this count of 163 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Florida, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
117 listed as universities and 46 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
41 public and 122 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Florida are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Florida. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/florida