Florida is a state in the United States (U.S.) known for its beautiful beaches, warm weather, affordable cost of living, no income tax and affordable housing. Florida is a destination vacation for many people. Florida is also the third-most populous state in the U.S. and is known for charging the second-lowest amount of tuition for in-state and out-of-state higher education.
Colleges are institutions that only offer undergraduate programs for a two-year (associate degrees) or four-year (bachelor degrees) duration. After high school, most students go to colleges to pursue a higher education. They may choose private or public schools, colleges in the state they grew up in, or other states. The choice of which college to attend may be based on the course they want to study, their financial capability or the rating of the school. Deciding whether to go in-state or out-of-state depends on one important factor: how much is the education and who is paying?
The focus of this article is to show you cheap colleges in Florida out-of-state. This will help you narrow down your choices and find a good school if you desire an out-of-state education in Florida because, why not Florida?
Before we get into the topic of discussion, let us first understand the difference between in-state and out-of-state education.
In-state vs Out-of-state Education
In-state education refers to the education an individual receives at a public or state college or university in the state where they live, while out-of-state education is the education an individual receives at a public or state college or university outside the state where they live. Therefore, a person who lives in Florida and attends a college in Florida is an in-state student, while a student who lives in New York and attends a college in Florida is an out-of-state student.
It is common knowledge that in-state colleges are cheaper than out-of-state colleges. This is because people living in a state pay taxes to that state, some of which are used to fund education, whereas people from other states do not. Thus, in-state college students are given a discount and pay less tuition than their out-of-state counterparts.
In most cases, the difference between these in-state and out-of-state college expenses is so huge that unless the applicant’s parents are wealthy, or through a study or sports scholarship, most students prefer to attend in-state colleges.
This article gives a list and a brief description of cheap colleges in Florida out of state. Every piece of information outlined here has been thoroughly researched and fact-checked at the various schools’ information desks. So, let’s get right into it. Please note that colleges and universities are used interchangeably in this article.
Cheap Colleges in Florida Out of State
1. Florida SouthWestern State College
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) is a public college located in Fort Myers, Florida. Fort Myers is known as the location for a military base in the United States. The school was founded in 1862 and named after Thomas Edison. The current name was given in 2014.
Florida SouthWestern State College places great emphasis on education, business, healthcare and technology programs. The college also has several satellite campuses and offers 25 associate degrees, 6 bachelor’s degrees and 29 certificate programs.
The cost of out-of-state tuition and fees at Florida SouthWestern State College is $23,860 and it is the 10th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
2. Florida Polytechnic University
Florida Polytechnic University began as a satellite campus for the University of Florida, was renamed the University of Florida Polytechnic in 2008 and finally the Florida Polytechnic University in 2012.
It is Florida’s only public polytechnic and is solely focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
If you are interested in STEM courses, this is a good place for you. The cost for Florida Polytechnic University out-of-state tuition and fees is $21,005 and it is the 9th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
3. Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is a public research university in Boca Raton, Florida. It holds its position as the fifth public university in Florida and is an R2 university known for its high research activity.
Florida Atlantic University has more than 180 graduate and graduate degree programs and boasts of being one of the schools with the largest student enrollment rate in Florida. The out-of-state cost of tuition and fees at FAU is $20,584 and is the 8th-cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
4. Gulf Coast State College
Gulf Coast State College is a public college located in Panama City, Florida. It offers associate and bachelor’s degrees in arts and science.
The college has a mission to help students become well-educated and productive citizens, as well as collaborate with the community to improve economic well-being. The out-of-state cost for tuition and fees at Gulf Coast State College is 25,162 USD and it is the 7th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
5. Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a public research university located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is an R1 doctoral university known for very high research activity.
Florida State is home to the only national laboratory in Florida, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and the place where the anti-cancer drug Taxol was created. It also operates the United State’s largest museum and university complexes.
The out-of-state cost of tuition and fees for Florida State is $18,746 and is the 6th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
6. Florida A&M University
Created as a result of the efforts of Jonathan C. Gibbs, who pointed out the need to create colleges for colored students, Florida A&M University was founded in 1887.
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU, Florida A&M University) is a historically black land-grant university located in Tallahassee, Florida. It is the third-largest historically black university in the United States by enrollment and the only historically black university in Florida.
Florida A&M University is classified as an R2 doctoral research university known for its high research activity. The out-of-state cost of tuition and fees at Florida A&M University is $16,500 and it is the 5th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
7. Florida Gateway College
Florida Gateway College is a public college in Lake City, Florida. It was established in 1947 as Columbia Forestry School and became a junior college in 1961, named Lake City Junior College. In 2010, Lake City Junior College officially became Florida Gateway College.
Located in a rural environment, Florida Gateway is proudly serving the community and preparing her students for excellent performance in their fields of study. The college is also said to be the most beautiful in Florida.
The out-of-state cost of tuition and fees at Florida Gateway College is $11,747 and it is the 4th cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
8. Sante Fe College
Sante Fe College is a public college located in Gainesville, Florida. It was established in 1965 as Sante Fe Junior College but was changed to Sante Fe Community College in 1972. In 2008, the name of the college was officially changed to Sante Fe College to reflect the bachelor’s degree programs it began to offer.
Sante Fe College offers nine bachelor degree programs and over 50 arts, technology and science associate degree programs. The out-of-state cost of education for Sante Fe College is $10,292 and is the 3rd cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
9. Valencia College
Valencia College is a public college located in Orlando, Florida. It is named for the Valencia oranges that were prominent in the area.
Valencia College started out as Valencia Junior College when it was founded in 1967 and had an official name change to Valencia College in 2010 when it began to offer bachelor degree programs.
Valencia College claims to provide an affordable and quality education to all, which is not doubtful as its out-of-state cost for tuition and fees is $10,262 and it is the 2nd cheapest college in Florida out of state on my list.
9. Florida State College at Jacksonville
Florida State College at Jacksonville is a public college located in Jacksonville, Florida. It began as Florida Junior College in 1966, after which it was changed to Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ) when it began to offer bachelor’s degree programs in 1986.
FSCJ has a growing reputation as one of the largest and most influential colleges in Florida, offering more bachelor degree programs than the other colleges in Florida. It is also one of the most affordable colleges in the United States.
With $9,632 as the cost of tuition and fees for out-of-state students, FSCJ has truly earned the spot as the number 1 cheap college in Florida out of state.
The average out-of-state tuition and fees in the United States are $27,320, and if you compare it with these ten schools, you will agree with me that they are cheap. So, if you’re looking into an out-of-state education in any of Florida’s schools, check these out. Look up their website, see if they offer what you want and go for it.
Best of wishes,
Mary John
