Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) vs Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU)

Western Connecticut State University and Florida Gulf Coast University, located in the picturesque regions of Danbury, Connecticut, and Fort Myers, Florida, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Connecticut State University, with an acceptance rate of 84%, welcomes a diverse student body, while Florida Gulf Coast University, with a slightly lower acceptance rate of 79%, boasts a larger student population. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors in business, education, and health sciences. While Western Connecticut State University has a higher graduation rate of 59%, Florida Gulf Coast University offers a more affordable tuition rate. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Florida Gulf Coast University logo

Florida Gulf Coast University

Western Connecticut State University logo

Western Connecticut State University

Overview

Location Fort Myers, Florida Danbury, Connecticut
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: 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 Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 89.2% 84.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $30
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1010 - 1180 N/A
ACT range 19 - 25 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 79.0%
Students submitting ACT score 45.0%
Total number of applicants 14,462 4,688
Total number of admissions given out 12,901 3,978
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,125 733
Yield rate 24.2% 18.4%
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: $28,783

Out of state: $42,187
Average net price $9,840 $15,660
Tuition
In state: $4,191

Out of state: $22,328
In state: $6,162

Out of state: $18,436
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,820

Meal plan: $4,346
Room/dormitory: $8,020

Meal plan: $5,856
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

78.0%
Average amount $6,754
78.0%
Average amount $6,312
Students receiving federal student loan 30.0%
Average amount $7,251
58.0%
Average amount $7,417
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $16,201
5.0%
Average amount $12,388

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,228
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
4,172
Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Graduate students 1,681
Men 29.2% Women 70.8%
630
Men 25.4% Women 74.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 17.6% 28.6%
International students 2.1% 0.4%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,732 1,315
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 Connecticut New York New Jersey Mississippi Maine

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
  • Liberal Arts
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Health Professions
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 22:1 11:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 56.2% 52.9%
Dropout rate 26.2% 12.0%
Transferred out 13.4% 31.0%
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,081
  • Year 2: $75,104
  • Year 3: $76,468
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,332
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $70,455
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,994
  • Year 2: $57,318
  • Year 3: $65,192
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $56,867
  • Year 3: $58,464
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,944
  • Year 2: $46,321
  • Year 3: $51,949
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,260
  • Year 2: $41,464
  • Year 3: $50,288
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,672
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $49,639
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,963
  • Year 2: $45,340
  • Year 3: $47,607
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,029
  • Year 2: $41,441
  • Year 3: $44,462
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,205
  • Year 2: $35,877
  • Year 3: $43,291

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
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Central Connecticut State University Central Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Eastern Connecticut State University Eastern Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs University of New Haven University of New Haven
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Quinnipiac University Quinnipiac University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Sacred Heart University Sacred Heart University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Southern Connecticut State University Southern Connecticut State University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs American International College American International College
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Assumption University Assumption University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Clark University Clark University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Lesley University Lesley University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Nichols College Nichols College
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Stonehill College Stonehill College
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Western New England University Western New England University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Bryant University Bryant University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs University of Rhode Island University of Rhode Island
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Salve Regina University Salve Regina University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Norfolk State University Norfolk State University
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs University of Wisconsin-Parkside University of Wisconsin-Parkside
Western Connecticut State University WCSU vs Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University