Best Private Colleges in Florida 2024

Badge for BEST IN FLORIDA PRIVATE COLLEGES

Published: Mar 17, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Florida.

University of Miami
Stetson University
Rollins College
Nova Southeastern University
Florida Institute of Technology
University of Tampa
Barry University
Florida Southern College
Jacksonville University
Eckerd College

Keiser University 97%
Palm Beach Atlantic University 95%
Stetson University 94%
Bethune–Cookman University 85%
Flagler College 81%
Lynn University 80%
Saint Leo University 80%
Nova Southeastern University 76%
Florida College 72%
Florida Memorial University 70%

Southeastern University 27 to 1
Webber International University 24 to 1
Lynn University 18 to 1
St. Thomas University 18 to 1
Saint Leo University 18 to 1
Nova Southeastern University 17 to 1
University of Tampa 17 to 1
Keiser University 15 to 1
Bethune–Cookman University 15 to 1
Florida Memorial University 15 to 1

University of Miami $57,194
Rollins College $56,110
Stetson University $52,320
Eckerd College $48,900
Florida Institute of Technology $43,670
Jacksonville University $43,670
Lynn University $41,550
Florida Southern College $40,500
Nova Southeastern University $36,300
Palm Beach Atlantic University $35,900

University of Miami $41,580
Keiser University $30,032
Webber International University $28,701
Rollins College $26,351
Florida Institute of Technology $22,338
Nova Southeastern University $22,062
Saint Leo University $18,436
Barry University $17,820
Florida Southern College $17,765
Stetson University $17,703

Southeastern University
City College
Florida College
Flagler College
Bethune–Cookman University
Hodges University
Florida Memorial University
Webber International University
Warner University
Lynn University

City College
Hodges University
Warner University
Florida College
Southeastern University
Webber International University
St. Thomas University
Florida Memorial University
Flagler College
Lynn University

University of Miami 19%
University of Tampa 26%
Ave Maria University 44%
Webber International University 49%
Rollins College 50%
Warner University 55%
Florida Southern College 57%
Jacksonville University 58%
Barry University 60%
Southeastern University 61%

Hodges University 10 to 1
Stetson University 11 to 1
Rollins College 11 to 1
Palm Beach Atlantic University 11 to 1
Eckerd College 11 to 1
Florida College 11 to 1
Barry University 12 to 1
University of Miami 13 to 1
Jacksonville University 13 to 1
Warner University 13 to 1

Bethune–Cookman University $14,794
Hodges University $15,500
Florida Memorial University $16,836
Florida College $18,060
City College $18,615
Keiser University $23,248
Flagler College $23,760
Ave Maria University $26,354
Saint Leo University $27,050
Warner University $28,044

Warner University $6,048
Flagler College $7,068
Palm Beach Atlantic University $11,304
Southeastern University $12,000
University of Tampa $12,294
Lynn University $13,500
Bethune–Cookman University $13,500
St. Thomas University $14,400
Hodges University $15,750
Jacksonville University $16,293

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Florida

The state of Florida offers a wealth of options for students seeking both traditional and online degree programs. With more than 40 public and 50 private schools, prospective students can earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from an extremely wide variety of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Florida.

Colleges in Florida are also uniquely affordable, with the state average tuition of $6,360 falling well under the national average. Among the most popular disciplines in Florida are anthropology, nursing, law, religious studies, and earth sciences. Many of these valuable degrees are available through online courses and fully online degree programs.

Indeed, nearly 40 colleges and universities in Florida offer online degrees. These online degree programs offer flexibility, convenience and accessibility. Make sure to choose an online degree program with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Among the largest colleges in Florida is Miami Dade College. This public college is home to over 165,000 students across eight campuses and 21 outreach centers as well as various excellent online degree programs. Miami Dade College also offers an extremely affordable in-state tuition of $3,000.

Students seeking a religious school can choose from 21 colleges and universities that are grounded in Judeo-Christian, Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, and Christian principles. Ranked as the top two schools, the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) both have large student populations, with just over 45,000 at UF and just under 39,000 as FSU. Both are also affordable, with tuition at $6,000 and $7,000, respectively.

At $50,000, the University of Miami is the most expensive private college in the state and has graduated influential people such as Gene Roddenberry, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Florida also offers its nursing students up to $4,000 in financial aid through their Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Coastal cities, sandy beaches, orange groves, and vibrant flowers - it’s no wonder Florida is called The Sunshine State. Home to the famous Everglades National Park and Disney World, Florida also boasts 90 higher education institutes.

With so many options for both traditional and online colleges in Florida, this state has a lot to offer higher education students. Check out Florida’s best degree programs and top career paths.

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Florida’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Florida's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer four-year undergraduate degrees. We’ve identified 38 private universities in Florida. To be included in the list below of the 25 best private universities in Florida, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.

Best Private Colleges and Universities in Florida 2023

Find Florida’s best private school in your area interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of private colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top private schools in every state.

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Best Private Colleges in Florida 2024

10 Best Private Colleges in Florida

Colleges and Universities in Florida

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Private Colleges and Universities in Florida 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Miami

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Florida Institute of Technology

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Nova Southeastern University

Most Influential Alumni

Nova Southeastern University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Rollins College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Stetson University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Barry University

Most Influential Alumni

Barry University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Florida Southern College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eckerd College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Jacksonville University

Most Influential Alumni

Jacksonville University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Keiser University

Keiser University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Tampa

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Ave Maria University

Career Outlook for degree at Saint Leo University

Most Influential Alumni

Saint Leo University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Palm Beach Atlantic University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at St. Thomas University

Most Influential Alumni

St. Thomas University ’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Lynn University

Most Influential Alumni

Lynn University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Warner University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Webber International University

Most Influential Alumni

Webber International University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Florida Memorial University

Career Outlook for degree at Hodges University

Hodges University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Bethune–Cookman University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Flagler College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Florida College

Career Outlook for degree at City College

Career Outlook for degree at Southeastern University

Southeastern University ’s Online Degrees

Find Florida’s best private school in your area interest