University of Central Florida

Admitted first-year students at UCF carry an average high school GPA of about 4.18 on a weighted scale. There is no hard cutoff, but the rigor of your high school record and your academic GPA are both weighed as very important factors, so a strong college-prep course load matters as much as the number.

UCF requires an SAT or ACT score from all first-year applicants — it is not test-optional. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored between 1220 and 1350 on the SAT and 25 to 30 on the ACT, and standardized test scores are weighed as a very important admission factor.

Yes — a 1300 is competitive for UCF. It sits above the median of 1280 and within the 1220–1350 middle-50% range of enrolled first-years, and roughly 69% of admitted students scored in the 1200–1399 band. Since UCF requires test scores, a 1300 paired with a strong GPA and rigorous courses makes for a solid application.

UCF is moderately selective, admitting about 42.8% of first-year applicants — roughly 25,500 offers out of nearly 59,600 applications. The overall rate is approachable, but some programs are limited or restricted-access and can be tougher than the headline number suggests, and the academic profile (a ~4.18 GPA and 1220–1350 SAT) is the part that drives most decisions.

Out-of-state applicants face a meaningfully narrower path at UCF. According to Fall 2024 CDS data, Florida residents were admitted at 49.1%, while out-of-state applicants were admitted at 28.9% and international applicants at 23.4%. That roughly 20-point gap reflects both enrollment-mix targets and program capacity. Out-of-state students should aim solidly at or above the enrolled academic profile — a ~4.18 GPA and a 1220–1350 SAT — to be competitive.

Annual tuition and required fees are about $6,368 for Florida residents and $24,076 for out-of-state students, making UCF one of the more affordable major research universities in the Southeast. About 34% of first-years receive need-based grant or scholarship aid, with an average need-based package near $14,588 and roughly 72% of demonstrated need met on average.

Business is the single most popular area at about 15% of bachelor's degrees, followed closely by engineering and computing (around 14%) and the health professions (around 14%). Psychology and the social sciences round out the top fields, reflecting UCF's breadth across roughly 60,000 undergraduates and its ties to Orlando's aerospace, defense, and simulation industries.

Yes. UCF rates the application essay as an important factor in its review — below academics and test scores, but above extracurriculars and character, which are only considered. With test scores required and admission decisions weighing heavily on the academic profile, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest places a borderline applicant can stand out.

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