Florida Gulf
Coast University
Public College in Fort Myers, FL. Six-year graduation rate 57%. Median 10-year earnings $54,560.
Ten years after entry, the median Florida Gulf Coast University student earns $54,560 — a solidly middle-of-the-pack result for an undergraduate institution. Six-year completion sits at 57%, near the national average for undergraduate institutions. Median debt at graduation is $17,622, roughly typical for an undergraduate degree.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.32 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
63% of applicants get in, so the odds favor most reasonably prepared students. 20,422 students applied, a pool deep enough to make the acceptance rate meaningful. About 21% of admitted students enroll, a yield in the normal range. The score bands below cover the middle 50% of the enrolled students who submitted a score — not the whole class, and not a cutoff.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 530–610 | 2,164 (80%) |
| SAT Math | 510–590 | |
| ACT Composite | 20–25 | 1,211 (45%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Florida Gulf Coast University →Academics
Completion is middling: 57% finish inside six years. Retention is strong at 83%, and first-year attrition is where most degrees are lost. Retention runs well ahead of completion, which means students are not leaving immediately; they are leaving somewhere between the second year and the finish line. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 65% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. A 20:1 ratio is unremarkable; expect a mix of lecture halls and seminars.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 13,832 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
At $12,863 a year on average after grant aid, cost is low here relative to most undergraduate institutions. Aid is steeply need-based: families in the $0–30k band pay $8,220 while those at $110k+ pay $18,829. About 57% get grants averaging $7,496, so plan on the possibility of paying closer to full price. Federal borrowing reaches 25% of students.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 2,697 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,220 |
| $30–48k | $8,191 |
| $48–75k | $10,999 |
| $75–110k | $15,450 |
| $110k+ | $18,829 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 3,499 of these 13,832 students, totalling $27,555,126 — an average of $7,875 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Lee County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)