UCF has come a long way in the past 20 years, but so has FSU.

UCF is notoriously overcrowded. UF, FSU, and Miami are really the only large Florida schools that offer the "traditional" college experience. Rollins should be a consideration too if you're willing to look at LACs.

I grew up in Orlando (had a lot of friends go to UCF) and I went to FSU. Here is my 2 cents.

UCF is somewhat comparable to GMU in that it’s becoming less of a commuter school, but the reputations still sticks. Also, most of my friends who went there stayed in Central FL after graduation, so I’m not sure there is much job recruitment on campus from outside FL. Like others have mentioned, a lot of students there do not graduate on a traditional 4 year schedule for whatever reason (I know a number of people who did community college/gap years and then ended up at UCF).

FSU is admittedly not Harvard, but it is a major state university with research programs and notable graduate schools (the film school is highly regarded and the law school is well ranked). It’s the state Capital so there is also the opportunity to get involved with internships. And it offers the benefit of a traditional 4 year college experience complete with major conference sports teams, study abroad program, student-run tv/radio stations, etc. Yes there is partying, but that is true for almost any college. I visited friends at a number of other schools over the years and they were all pretty much the same in that regard. I also found plenty of other opportunities to get involved in extracurriculars, honors program, etc. that didn’t involve drinking/partying.

FWIW, I ended up going from FSU to a highly ranked law school with many law school classmates coming from Ivy League schools. So I don’t think I did too bad for coming from a “party school” down south.

That said, I know UCF has come a long way since I was a college kid, so it may be helpful to visit the campus and speak to students with more recent experience.

I’m from Florida. My daughter went to UF. UCF is a good school, but so huge. Look at University of North Florida. Gorgeous campus in Jax. It doesn’t get much attention, but it’s a really good school in a great location.

I'm a Floridian. UF is considered the strongest state school followed by FSU. UCF was considered a major commuter school when I lived in Orlando post college and I didn't know anyone who went there from my high school. I'd consider USF in Tampa before UCF.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Central Florida and had friends who went to UCF and thr joke is "UCF" stands for "You Can't Finish". Not one person I knew who went there finished on time because they couldn't get into the classes they needed.

Above piqued my interest. I looked it up, and jumpin' Jehoshaphat, that's a spectacular 4/5 year grad differential for UCF. It's even worse than JMU!

University of Central Florida, 2019 IPEDS
Four-year graduation rate 40.3%
Five-year graduation rate 64.2%
Six-year graduation rate 70.0%

UF is better, but nowhere near good.

University of Florida (Tallahassee), 2019 IPEDS
Four-year graduation rate 62.6%
Five-year graduation rate 78.1%
Six-year graduation rate 80.2%

Red flag for both institutions for students having trouble getting into required classes; plan finances accordingly.

Florida State University is in Tallahassee. The University of Florida is in Gainesville.

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Central Florida and had friends who went to UCF and thr joke is "UCF" stands for "You Can't Finish". Not one person I knew who went there finished on time because they couldn't get into the classes they needed.

Above piqued my interest. I looked it up, and jumpin' Jehoshaphat, that's a spectacular 4/5 year grad differential for UCF. It's even worse than JMU!

University of Central Florida, 2019 IPEDS
Four-year graduation rate 40.3%
Five-year graduation rate 64.2%
Six-year graduation rate 70.0%

UF is better, but nowhere near good.

University of Florida (Tallahassee), 2019 IPEDS
Four-year graduation rate 62.6%
Five-year graduation rate 78.1%
Six-year graduation rate 80.2%

Red flag for both institutions for students having trouble getting into required classes; plan finances accordingly.

FSU has gotten really competitive over the past few years. It is definitely still a party school though, but it has more of a residential college vibe. Really the classic college experience. UCF has also improved a lot too, but yes, still has commuter school vibes. The Honors College there is quite good - could be something to look into to build community at such a gigantic school. Also IIRC they give full rides (tuition + R&B) for NMFs so there is a draw there for out of state/really smart kids.

We are visiting family in Florida right now. My niece is very bright and her parents would love her to go to UF but since they live in Gainesville she’s not interested. They can’t afford Miami so her other top options are Florida State and USF. She’s not interested in UCF.

Anonymous wrote:FL is not known for its education. I know kids (and parents) don’t like the stigma of community college but it is the best place for many kids to start. It doesn’t have to be where they get their degree. It’s fabulous for those Gen Ed requirements…that’s what they specialize in. It also buys time for the student to mature.

This is simply false. Univ of Florida, Univ of Miami, and FSU are well regarded schools.