Best Small Colleges in Florida 2024

Badge for BEST IN FLORIDA SMALL COLLEGES

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

Small colleges in Florida are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

Stetson University
Rollins College
New College of Florida
Florida Southern College
Jacksonville University
Eckerd College
Bethune–Cookman University
Ave Maria University
Palm Beach Atlantic University
Lynn University

Palm Beach Atlantic University 95%
Stetson University 94%
Bethune–Cookman University 85%
Flagler College 81%
Lynn University 80%
New College of Florida 75%
Florida College 72%
Florida Memorial University 70%
Everglades University 70%
St. Thomas University 65%

Webber International University 24 to 1
Northwest Florida State College 21 to 1
Gulf Coast State College 19 to 1
St. Thomas University 18 to 1
Lynn University 18 to 1
Chipola College 18 to 1
Everglades University 17 to 1
South Florida State College 17 to 1
Florida Memorial University 15 to 1
Bethune–Cookman University 15 to 1

Rollins College $56,110
Stetson University $52,320
Eckerd College $48,900
Beacon College $47,110
Jacksonville University $43,670
Lynn University $41,550
Florida Southern College $40,500
Palm Beach Atlantic University $35,900
St. Thomas University $33,760
Webber International University $30,798

Webber International University $28,701
Rollins College $26,351
Everglades University $21,360
Florida Southern College $17,765
Stetson University $17,703
Florida Memorial University $16,708
Ave Maria University $16,300
Jacksonville University $16,293
Hodges University $15,750
St. Thomas University $14,400

South Florida State College
Beacon College
Trinity Baptist College
Gulf Coast State College
Everglades University
City College
Florida College
Northwest Florida State College
Flagler College
Bethune–Cookman University

Northwest Florida State College
Everglades University
South Florida State College
Gulf Coast State College
Trinity Baptist College
City College
Beacon College
Hodges University
Warner University
Chipola College

Ave Maria University 44%
Webber International University 49%
Trinity Baptist College 50%
Rollins College 50%
Beacon College 52%
Warner University 55%
Florida Southern College 57%
Jacksonville University 58%
Eckerd College 65%
St. Thomas University 65%

New College of Florida 7 to 1
Hodges University 10 to 1
Trinity Baptist College 10 to 1
Rollins College 11 to 1
Stetson University 11 to 1
Eckerd College 11 to 1
Palm Beach Atlantic University 11 to 1
Florida College 11 to 1
Beacon College 12 to 1
Jacksonville University 13 to 1

Gulf Coast State College $1,750
Chipola College $2,365
Northwest Florida State College $2,496
South Florida State College $3,135
New College of Florida $5,227
Trinity Baptist College $14,300
Bethune–Cookman University $14,794
Hodges University $15,500
Florida Memorial University $16,836
Florida College $18,060

Warner University $6,048
Flagler College $7,068
New College of Florida $9,555
Palm Beach Atlantic University $11,304
Lynn University $13,500
Bethune–Cookman University $13,500
St. Thomas University $14,400
Hodges University $15,750
Jacksonville University $16,293
Ave Maria University $16,300

Key Takeaways

Unlike larger public colleges, the best small colleges in Florida offer a more tight-knit community with below average student-to-teacher ratio.
The best small colleges in Florida are private schools that offer a more personalized education for their students, with an average amount of $9k in tuition and fees per year.
The average student body of the best small colleges in Florida is 3k.

Table of Contents

Big on Quality: Florida’s Small Colleges

Pinning down the best colleges and universities is one of the most challenging things students must do. Some may find themselves feverishly looking up whcih colleges and universities offer the best college-life experience. Often this results in students who tend to “follow the crowd” toward big public and private colleges without considering alternative colleges.

Due to having less popularity, small colleges are often disregarded. But by taking a closer look, you’ll discover that going to one of the top small colleges has several advantages. These benefits present a strong argument for keeping small Central Florida colleges on your shortlist.

Benefits of Attending Small Colleges in FL

Smaller Class Sizes

The first benefit of attending a small private institution with a low student enrollment is the more intimate setting that leads to greater class participation.

Students can frequently learn more from their degree programs this way than they can by taking notes in a large lecture hall. Students can benefit from classroom and small group discussions by having a better grasp on lectures, easily meeting new friends, and developing critical thinking skills—things that can be difficult to attain at a more prominent institution, such as Florida International University.

An additional advantage of having a smaller class size is the opportunity for significant face-to-face time with your professors. You’ll also experience a more tight-knit campus community, which often leads to better networking opportunities and connections.

Better Instruction

It’s worth noting that some small private colleges may not offer a graduate program. This can be a benefit because if you attend a university that solely confers undergraduate degrees, your course won’t be taught by a teaching assistant, as is frequently the case at larger universities.

Instead, you’re much more likely to have a teacher that is knowledgeable about their field and isn’t just another student. While enrolling in a course taught by recent graduates is possible, this is rare, and your instructor will at least have completed their study.

Personalized Education

Small colleges can design lessons specifically for their students, develop unique curricula, and provide project-based learning as an alternative to test-based learning.

You will study the content required for your major and get to apply it right away because many small universities use an experiential learning approach to education. Students who are unsure or confused about their degree can benefit from experiential learning by seeing and experiencing what it is truly like to work in that field.

Higher Graduation Rates

Because small colleges offer more robust academic advisers and more personalized attention, students tend to graduate on time, resulting in a much higher graduation rate.

Students often do not have to repeat classes or be late on submissions because their instructors are very hands-on and approachable. Students can count on their advisors to support them in making the best decisions if a personal matter arises.

While you should enjoy your time in college, taking extra semesters or adding one academic year to complete your degree frequently results in higher tuition and fees. A small university’s added personalized attention will ensure that your time and money are used wisely.

Better Financial Aid Opportunities

Students planning to pursue degrees in a small private school should expect to pay an average tuition and fees of $9,400. Despite having higher costs than large public colleges, small private colleges frequently provide generous financial aid packages that help to reduce the gap.

Financial aid is crucial in private institutions’ efforts to draw in a diverse student body. Additionally, most private colleges can offer scholarships to out-of-state students, unlike the majority of state universities, where they only usually prioritize in-state students.

And because there are fewer students, there’s less competition for financial aid, so students attending smaller schools can often get more financial aid. Students will also have a greater chance of getting into work-study programs.

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Florida is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified a total of 32 small colleges in Florida. The list below of the 25 best small colleges in Flordia. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine Florida's best small 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.

Best Small Colleges in Florida 2023

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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.

Photo By Enunnally55 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Best Small Colleges in Florida 2024

10 Best Small Colleges in Florida 2024

Key Takeaways

Big on Quality: Florida’s Small Colleges

Benefits of Attending Small Colleges in FL

Smaller Class Sizes

Better Instruction

Personalized Education

Higher Graduation Rates

Better Financial Aid Opportunities

Colleges and Universities in Florida

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Florida 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Rollins College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Stetson University

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

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 Ave Maria University

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 Chipola College

Most Influential Alumni

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 Northwest Florida State College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Florida College

Career Outlook for degree at City College

Career Outlook for degree at Everglades University

Everglades University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Gulf Coast State College

Most Influential Alumni

Gulf Coast State College’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Trinity Baptist College

Trinity Baptist College’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at South Florida State College

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