Private nonprofit · University

Ave Maria University

Ave Maria, Florida · Distant rural

41.4%
Admit rate
$24,860
Avg net price
54%
Graduation rate
$49,520
Median earnings

Ave Maria University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Ave Maria, Florida (distant rural setting), enrolling 1,298 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,298 undergradsDistant ruralSelective · 41% admitNAIA Division II · The Sun ConferenceMild wintersNear the coast

About Ave Maria, Florida

Ave Maria, Florida, is a planned community and census-designated place located in Collier County, Florida, United States, consisting of approximately 5,000 acres (2,023 ha). Ave Maria was founded in 2005 by Ave Maria Development, a partnership consisting of Barron Collier Companies and the Ave Maria Foundation led by Tom Monaghan, a Catholic entrepreneur and founder of Domino's Pizza and Ave Maria University. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
24 miles
Nearest airport
24 miles to Southwest Florida (RSW) · major hub

How Ave Maria University compares

Selectivity41.4%

More selective than 89% · #8 most selective of 49 in Florida

Graduation rate54%

Higher than 48% · #34 of 62 in Florida

First-year retention79%

Higher than 59%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,520

Higher than 37% · #25 of 60 in Florida

Average net price$24,860

Cheaper than 29% · #36 cheapest of 62 in Florida

Median debt at graduation$20,776

Lower than 70%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment1,298

Larger than 45%

Percentiles compare Ave Maria University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Florida.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,420students
  • Undergraduate1,29891%
  • Graduate1229%

Undergraduates by gender

1,298undergrads
  • Women62848%
  • Men67052%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White69%
  • Black2.9%
  • Hispanic15%
  • Asian4.7%
  • Other or multiracial7.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,298
Graduate enrollment
122
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
21%
First-generation students
18%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$81,806
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$81,819
Endowment
$11,014,738

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
41.4%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$30,198
Room & board
$14,432
Books & supplies
$1,320
Total cost of attendance
$46,129
Average net price
$24,860

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
54%
Graduated on time (4 years)
39%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
39%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$43,572
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,520
Median debt at graduation
$20,776
Students with federal loans
45%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
46%

About 15% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
39%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
52%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,133
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
87%
Housing charge (year)
$7,562
Meal plan (year)
$6,007
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division II
Football conference
The Sun Conference
Varsity athletes
811 (464 men · 347 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)186
Football114
Basketball89
Soccer89
Other Sports89
Volleyball47
Swimming38
Baseball37
Tennis33
Golf27
Softball25
Lacrosse21
Beach Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
4
Property offenses (2022–2024)
10

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,423 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

4.7reported offenses a year
1.3 violent a year3.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
3.3
Fondling
0.7
Robbery
0.3
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$18,761
$30–48k
$20,840
$48–75k
$23,790
$75–110k
$24,088
$110k+
$27,107

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$104,786

$23,790/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$17,114
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from Ave Maria University itself, averaging $17,114, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 356 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$49,520
Typical debt at graduation
$20,776
Debt vs. one year's pay
42%
Out-earn a HS grad
54%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$44,262
Men
$57,598

Men out-earn women by $13,336 (30%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
92°F
Winter low
52°F
Annual rain
48″

Average temperature

HighLow
40°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.07.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Immokalee, FL US station (8.7 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Ave Maria University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ave Maria University side by side →

Colleges near Ave Maria University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.