University of Florida vs. University of Georgia

UF is harder. It admits about 24.2% of applicants while UGA admits roughly 34.3%, so Georgia lets in a meaningfully larger share. UF's enrolled first-years also post a higher test profile, a middle-50% SAT of 1330–1470 and ACT of 29–33 against UGA's 1250–1420 and 27–33, though UGA's average admitted GPA runs higher at about 4.17 (roughly 87% earn a 4.0 or above) to UF's 3.92. Out-of-state odds tighten well below the headline rate at both, since each enrolls only about 20% of first-years from out of state, and UF additionally weighs state residency and geographical residence as considered factors while UGA ignores them.

On sticker price, UF runs lower for out-of-state students, about $28,658 in tuition and fees versus $32,336 at UGA, and it meets far more demonstrated need: roughly 99% on average against UGA's 78%, with 65% of UF first-years receiving aid versus 28% at UGA. Where UGA's aid does land, the average package runs larger, near $17,230 to UF's $14,201, but it reaches a much smaller slice of the class. A high-need out-of-state applicant generally nets lower at UF, and UF's in-state tuition undercuts UGA too, about $6,381 to UGA's $11,492.

Business carries far more weight in UGA's degree mix. It's the single largest field at about 30% of bachelor's degrees, anchored by the Terry College of Business. Business and marketing leads at UF too, but at about 14% of degrees, sitting close to engineering (12%) and the life sciences (11%) in a more even spread. UGA gives a business-concentrated student the heavier focus, while UF pairs business with a deep STEM bench.

For engineering, UF is the clearer pick. Engineering ranks as its second-largest field at about 12% of degrees, with computer science adding another 5%, on top of a broad life-sciences and business base. UGA puts much less weight there, about 5% of degrees, since its strength sits in business, the sciences, and the social sciences instead. A student chasing engineering or computing at a flagship lands in a stronger environment at UF, while UGA offers those fields inside a business- and communications-led university.

Yes, both require test scores, and neither goes test-optional. UF's enrolled middle-50% SAT runs 1330–1470 (ACT 29–33), a notch above UGA's 1250–1420 (ACT 27–33). Each school also weighs the rigor of your high school course load and your GPA as very important factors, so a demanding transcript matters right alongside the required scores.

UGA in Athens delivers the more residential college-town feel. About 98% of its first-years live on campus, against roughly 75% at UF in Gainesville. Greek life also looms larger at UGA, where about 37% of men join fraternities versus 18% at UF, while sorority membership holds near 25% at each. The two run close in size, around 32,800 undergraduates at UGA and 36,573 at UF, and teach at a similar scale, near 17-to-1 at UGA and 16-to-1 at UF.