Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Florida Gulf Coast University, University of Arkansas, Mississippi State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Florida GulfFort Myers, FL | ArkansasFayetteville, AR | Mississippi StateMississippi State, MS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 63.4% | 74.3% | 77.6% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1040–1200 | 1030–1220 | 1100–1350 |
| Average net price | $12,56827.9% on Pell grants | $18,20917.8% on Pell grants | $17,59529.3% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $6,118 in-state · $25,162 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,104 in-state · $29,966 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,202 in-state · $27,637 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 57.4% | 70.5% | 66.7% |
| First-year retention | 83.2% | 86.4% | 82.5% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 27.9% | 17.8% | 29.3% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $54,560 | $58,191 | $51,513 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $17,622 | $21,500 | $22,142 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | 20:1 | 16:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 13,874 | 28,677 | 18,397 |
| Consensus percentile | 45Lower is better | 45Lower is better | 44Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 58 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 69 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 79 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Florida Gulf | Arkansas | Mississippi State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #318 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #183 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #208 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #341 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #175 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #292 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #370 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #969 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #415 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #233 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #418 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #398 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #182 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #124 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #1147 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Florida Gulf Coast University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Arkansas on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Mississippi State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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