Jacksonville State vs Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)

Jacksonville State University (JSU) and Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. JSU, located in Jacksonville, Alabama, is a public university with a long history dating back to 1883. FGCU, on the other hand, is a younger institution, established in 1997 in Fort Myers, Florida, and is also a public university. While both universities share similarities in terms of their academic offerings and commitment to student success, there are several key differences between them. These differences range from acceptance rates and popular majors to student body demographics and graduation rates. To help prospective students make informed decisions about their higher education journey, we present a comprehensive side-by-side comparison of JSU and FGCU, highlighting these variations and providing valuable insights into each university's distinct characteristics.
Florida Gulf Coast University logo

Florida Gulf Coast University

Jacksonville State University logo

Jacksonville State University

Overview

Location Fort Myers, Florida Jacksonville, Alabama
Campus setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Small
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 82.0% 69.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 89.2% 76.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range 1010 - 1180 1010 - 1240
ACT range 19 - 25 16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score 79.0% 1.0%
Students submitting ACT score 45.0% 71.0%
Total number of applicants 14,462 10,483
Total number of admissions given out 12,901 8,003
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,125 1,818
Yield rate 24.2% 22.7%
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: $20,390

Out of state: $39,434
In state: $24,923

Out of state: $34,643
Average net price $9,840 $13,426
Tuition
In state: $4,191

Out of state: $22,328
In state: $9,720

Out of state: $19,440
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,820

Meal plan: $4,346
Room/dormitory: $3,900

Meal plan: $3,300
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

78.0%
Average amount $6,754
99.0%
Average amount $8,488
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $7,251
59.0%
Average amount $7,102
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $16,201
7.0%
Average amount $10,209

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,228
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
8,067
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Graduate students 1,681
Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
1,473
Men 32.2% Women 67.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 17.6% 19.8%
International students 2.1% 1.7%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,732 2,564
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Florida Illinois New Jersey Pennsylvania Ohio Alabama Georgia Tennessee Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Liberal Arts
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 22:1 19:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 56.2% 49.7%
Dropout rate 26.2% 18.2%
Transferred out 13.4% 27.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,985
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $75,155
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,854
  • Year 2: $59,576
  • Year 3: $64,932
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,822
  • Year 2: $57,017
  • Year 3: $63,897
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,133
  • Year 2: $48,745
  • Year 3: $58,976
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,575
  • Year 2: $57,874
  • Year 3: $56,096
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $50,439
  • Year 3: $54,156
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,068
  • Year 2: $45,500
  • Year 3: $48,436
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,026
  • Year 2: $49,058
  • Year 3: $48,186
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,900
  • Year 2: $43,519
  • Year 3: $46,422
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,177
  • Year 2: $37,363
  • Year 3: $46,155

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Troy University Troy University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Lynn University Lynn University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs University of Miami University of Miami
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Nova Southeastern University Nova Southeastern University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Rollins College Rollins College
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Stetson University Stetson University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisiana at Monroe
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Stockton University Stockton University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs The University of Texas Permian Basin The University of Texas Permian Basin
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Ave Maria University Ave Maria University
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs University of North Georgia University of North Georgia
Florida Gulf Coast University FGCU vs Florida Polytechnic University Florida Polytechnic University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Alabama A & M University Alabama A & M University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Alabama State University Alabama State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Auburn University at Montgomery Auburn University at Montgomery
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Arkansas State University Arkansas State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Arkansas Tech University Arkansas Tech University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs University of Central Arkansas University of Central Arkansas
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Morehead State University Morehead State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Northern Kentucky University Northern Kentucky University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs McNeese State University McNeese State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisiana at Monroe
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Northwestern State University of Louisiana Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Southeastern Louisiana University Southeastern Louisiana University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Delta State University Delta State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs University of Central Missouri University of Central Missouri
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Truman State University Truman State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Youngstown State University Youngstown State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Northeastern State University Northeastern State University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs The University of Tennessee-Martin The University of Tennessee-Martin
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Tennessee Technological University Tennessee Technological University
Jacksonville State University Jacksonville State vs Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University