Florida Southern vs Vanderbilt
Florida Southern College and Vanderbilt University, two esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Florida Southern, a private liberal arts college in Lakeland, Florida, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention and undergraduate research. Vanderbilt, a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, is renowned for its rigorous academics, world-class faculty, and extensive research opportunities. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, Florida Southern excels in business, education, and nursing, while Vanderbilt is known for its strength in engineering, medicine, and law. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about the acceptance rates, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other key differences between these two exceptional institutions.
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![]() Florida Southern College |
![]() Vanderbilt University |
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Overview |
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Location | Lakeland, Florida | Nashville, Tennessee |
Campus setting | City: Midsize | City: Large |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Private (Non Profit) | Private (Non Profit) |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 79.0% | 97.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | Methodism | |
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Admission |
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Acceptance rate | 60.9% | 7.1% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$50
Graduate:
$95
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SAT range | 1160 - 1335 | 1480 - 1570 |
ACT range | 25 - 30 | 34 - 35 |
Students submitting SAT score | 27.0% | 25.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 17.0% | 32.0% |
Total number of applicants | 10,759 | 47,152 |
Total number of admissions given out | 6,550 | 3,368 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 792 | 1,626 |
Yield rate | 12.1% | 48.3% |
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) | Not required | Required |
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Tuition and Fees |
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Sticker price | $55,100 | $79,538 |
Average net price | $25,783 | $27,553 |
Tuition | $38,180 | $54,840 |
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$7,224
Meal plan:
$4,800
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Room/dormitory:
$12,000
Meal plan:
$6,376
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Available payment plans |
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Financial Aid |
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Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
100.0%
Average amount $28,545 |
64.0%
Average amount $49,730 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
61.0%
Average amount $5,373 |
10.0%
Average amount $4,979 |
Students taking out private loans |
9.0%
Average amount $16,516 |
2.0%
Average amount $27,798 |
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Students and Campus |
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Undergraduate students |
2,811
Men 35.8% Women 64.2% |
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1% |
Graduate students |
575
Men 33.4% Women 66.6% |
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Low
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Moderate
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Out-of-state students | N/A | 89.5% |
International students | 3.5% | 11.7% |
Campus local/setting | City: Midsize | City: Large |
Dormitory capacity | 2,329 | 5,598 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | Yes |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | N/A | Tennessee California New York Florida Texas |
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Academics |
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Popular study areas |
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Students to faculty ratio | 14:1 | 8:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges | Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges |
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Outcome |
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Graduation rate | 67.7% | 93.4% |
Dropout rate | 32.3% | 6.4% |
Transferred out | N/A | N/A |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Criminology (Bachelor's Degrees)
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
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Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
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