Public · University

University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida · Fringe rural

58.2%
Admit rate
$9,364
Avg net price
59%
Graduation rate
$49,137
Median earnings

University of West Florida is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Pensacola, Florida (fringe rural setting), enrolling 9,330 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 9,330 undergradsFringe ruralSelective · 58% admitNCAA Division II with football · Gulf South ConferenceNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of West Florida's admitted students.

Admit rate
58.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1020–1230
Avg GPA
3.70

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of West Florida's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of West Florida's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. At the time of European contact, a Muskogean-speaking tribe known to the Spanish as the Pensacola, lived in the region. This name was not recorded until 1677, but the tribe appears to be the source of the name "Pensacola" for the bay and thence the city. There are a number of performance venues in the Pensacola area, including the Pensacola Bay Center (formerly the Pensacola Civic Center), often used for big-ticket events, and the Saenger Theater, used for performances and mid-level events. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
9 miles to Pensacola, FL
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Pensacola (PNS) · major hub

How University of West Florida compares

Selectivity58.2%

More selective than 78% · #21 most selective of 49 in Florida

SAT average1138

Higher than 42%

Graduation rate59%

Higher than 59% · #28 of 62 in Florida

First-year retention89%

Higher than 84%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$49,137

Higher than 36% · #28 of 60 in Florida

Average net price$9,364

Cheaper than 92% · #6 cheapest of 62 in Florida

Median debt at graduation$16,624

Lower than 88%

Student–faculty ratio22 : 1

Lower than 6%

Undergraduate enrollment9,330

Larger than 88%

Percentiles compare University of West Florida 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

14,182students
  • Undergraduate9,33066%
  • Graduate4,85234%

Undergraduates by gender

9,330undergrads
  • Women5,57060%
  • Men3,76040%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White60%
  • Black10%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian3.5%
  • Other or multiracial14%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
9,330
Graduate enrollment
4,852
Student–faculty ratio
22 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
26%
Median family income
$34,584
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$95,877
Endowment
$108,127,993

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,503 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Florida89%
  • Other U.S. states11%

Most first-years stay in state — University of West Florida draws overwhelmingly from Florida.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
58.2%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1020–1230
SAT average
1138
SAT reading
520–630
SAT math
500–600
ACT composite
20–27
Average GPA
3.70

Cost

In-state tuition
$6,360
Out-of-state tuition
$19,241
Room & board
$12,432
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$19,947
Average net price
$9,364

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)
59%
Graduated on time (4 years)
47%
First-year retention
89%
Transferred to another college
5%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,204
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$49,137
Median debt at graduation
$16,624
Students with federal loans
25%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
49%

About 12% 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
47%
Low-income (Pell)
29%
First-generation
28%

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
1,534
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
16%
Housing charge (year)
$6,124
Meal plan (year)
$5,405
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Gulf South Conference
Varsity athletes
398 (244 men · 154 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 (10)

Football124
Soccer67
Baseball36
Swimming and Diving (combined)28
Tennis28
Basketball27
Volleyball25
Softball23
Cross Country22
Golf18

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
16
Property offenses (2022–2024)
9

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (14,822 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.

8.3reported offenses a year
5.3 violent a year3.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.7
Burglary
1.3
Fondling
0.7

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
$4,815
$30–48k
$6,462
$48–75k
$8,077
$75–110k
$12,456
$110k+
$16,620

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
$34,739

$8,077/year × about 4.3 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.

66%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,919
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 66% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,919. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

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 1,021 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)
$49,137
Typical debt at graduation
$16,624
Debt vs. one year's pay
34%
Out-earn a HS grad
57%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 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
$45,990
Men
$55,060

Men out-earn women by $9,070 (20%) 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
91°F
Winter low
42°F
Annual rain
67.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.04.28.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pensacola 7 Nne, FL US station (1.8 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 University of West Florida

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of West Florida side by side →

Colleges near University of West Florida

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.