Eastern Illinois University (EIU) vs Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)

Eastern Illinois University (EIU) and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning that offer unique educational experiences. EIU, located in Charleston, Illinois, is a public university with a long history dating back to 1895. FGCU, on the other hand, is a younger institution founded in 1997 and is situated in Fort Myers, Florida. While both universities share similarities in their commitment to academic excellence, they differ in several key aspects, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. This side-by-side comparison will delve into these differences, providing valuable insights to help prospective students make informed decisions about their higher education journey.
Eastern Illinois University logo

Eastern Illinois University

Florida Gulf Coast University logo

Florida Gulf Coast University

Overview

Location Charleston, Illinois Fort Myers, Florida
Campus setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 74.0% 82.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 71.7% 89.2%
Application fees $30
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
SAT range 900 - 1140 1010 - 1180
ACT range 17 - 23 19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 56.0% 79.0%
Students submitting ACT score 66.0% 45.0%
Total number of applicants 7,145 14,462
Total number of admissions given out 5,126 12,901
Admitted students who chose to enroll 778 3,125
Yield rate 15.2% 24.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $25,316

Out of state: $27,684
In state: $20,390

Out of state: $39,434
Average net price $13,669 $9,840
Tuition
In state: $9,472

Out of state: $11,840
In state: $4,191

Out of state: $22,328
Room & board $10,548
Room/dormitory: $4,820

Meal plan: $4,346
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $10,756
78.0%
Average amount $6,754
Students receiving federal student loan 62.0%
Average amount $5,140
30.0%
Average amount $7,251
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $10,570
4.0%
Average amount $16,201

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,903
Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
14,228
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Graduate students 1,705
Men 37.5% Women 62.5%
1,681
Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 9.6% 17.6%
International students 4.6% 2.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,304 4,732
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois Indiana Ohio Missouri Texas Florida Illinois New Jersey Pennsylvania Ohio

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Health Professions
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Liberal Arts
  • Education
  • Engineering
Students to faculty ratio 14:1 22:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.7% 56.2%
Dropout rate 15.9% 26.2%
Transferred out 32.6% 13.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,607
  • Year 2: $54,386
  • Year 3: $65,635
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,284
  • Year 2: $59,350
  • Year 3: $64,761
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,936
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $64,356
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,964
  • Year 2: $50,677
  • Year 3: $61,384
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,053
  • Year 2: $46,673
  • Year 3: $59,023
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,088
  • Year 2: $50,856
  • Year 3: $57,084
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,985
  • Year 2: $53,894
  • Year 3: $56,317
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $49,482
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,479
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: $47,585
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,850
  • Year 2: $40,768
  • Year 3: $47,302
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,910
  • Year 2: $59,722
  • Year 3: $85,341
Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $74,972
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $70,296
  • Year 3: $73,324
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,429
  • Year 2: $66,821
  • Year 3: $68,880
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,840
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $68,095
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,707
  • Year 2: $47,520
  • Year 3: $65,837
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,279
  • Year 2: $62,409
  • Year 3: $64,731
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,799
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $63,963
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,944
  • Year 2: $46,769
  • Year 3: $59,253
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,874
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $58,083

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