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Loyola University Chicago vs University of South Florida 2026
Who is it for? This comparison is for applicants seeking financial aid options at Loyola University Chicago and the University of South Florida. Both institutions offer merit-based scholarships, but USF provides higher average amounts.
Institution A
Illinois
Loyola University Chicago
Institution B
Florida
University of South Florida
Quick comparison
Scholarships in catalog
Loyola University Chicago
611
University of South Florida
28
Avg. award (where known)
Loyola University Chicago
$740
University of South Florida
$1,833
Max award (index signal)
Loyola University Chicago
$1,500
University of South Florida
$6,000
Open deadlines share
Loyola University Chicago
0%
University of South Florida
0%
Merit vs need (approx.)
Loyola University Chicago
Merit 66.4% / Need 33.6%
University of South Florida
Merit 53.6% / Need 46.4%
Public reference data
College cost & outcomes
Official-style college facts matched by school name and state. These figures are separate from ScholarshipTop scholarship totals in the comparison table above.
Visual comparison
In-state tuition
Annual, before aidOut-of-state tuition
Annual, before aidMedian earnings
10 years after entryCompletion rate
Share completing within timeAdmission rate
Share admittedResearch activity comparison
Public research indicators can help compare academic activity; they do not imply scholarship eligibility.
Works count
OpenAlexCitation count
OpenAlexNIH projects
NIH RePORTER aggregateCity rent and wage comparison
Public rent and wage estimates can help compare cost of attendance and relocation planning.
Latest rent estimate
Zillow ZORIHUD 1BR FMR
HUD FMRHUD 2BR FMR
HUD FMRMedian wage
BLS OEWSLoyola University Chicago
In-state tuition
$53,710
Annual, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$53,710
Annual, before aid
Admission rate
81.6%
Completion rate
73.0%
Median earnings
$71,530
10 years after entry
Enrollment
11,737
Undergraduate headcount
Research and institution context
Public research indicators can help compare academic activity; they do not imply scholarship eligibility.
Works count
48,089
Citation count
2,572,545
NIH projects
2,550
NIH funding band
$250M-$1B
Public research indicators are available from OpenAlex and NIH RePORTER aggregates.
City rent and wage context
Public rent and wage estimates can help compare cost of attendance and relocation planning.
Chicago, IL | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Latest rent estimate
$2,350
2026-04
12-mo rent change
+6.3%
Zillow ZORI
HUD 1BR FMR
$794
Planning estimate
HUD 2BR FMR
$1,002
Planning estimate
- Public metro rent estimates are available for relocation and cost-of-attendance planning; local lease costs can vary within the metro area.
University of South Florida
In-state tuition
$6,410
Annual, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$17,324
Annual, before aid
Admission rate
43.2%
Completion rate
76.8%
Median earnings
$57,743
10 years after entry
Enrollment
37,207
Undergraduate headcount
Research and institution context
Public research indicators can help compare academic activity; they do not imply scholarship eligibility.
Works count
128,942
Citation count
7,855,736
NIH projects
3,940
NIH funding band
$1B+
Public research indicators are available from OpenAlex and NIH RePORTER aggregates.
City rent and wage context
Public rent and wage estimates can help compare cost of attendance and relocation planning.
Tampa, FL | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
Latest rent estimate
$1,951
2026-04
12-mo rent change
-1.1%
Zillow ZORI
HUD 1BR FMR
$1,238
Planning estimate
HUD 2BR FMR
$1,459
Planning estimate
- Public metro rent estimates are available for relocation and cost-of-attendance planning; local lease costs can vary within the metro area.
Sources: College Scorecard, OpenAlex, and ROR where matched. Figures may lag the current academic year; verify on the institution site.
Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.
Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.
Financial Aid Overview
Loyola University Chicago offers a merit-based scholarship percentage of 66.4%, with an average award amount of $740 and a maximum of $1500. In contrast, the University of South Florida has a lower merit percentage of 53.6% but provides a significantly higher average scholarship amount of approximately $1833, with a maximum award of $6000. While Loyola has a higher number of open grants (611), USF has fewer grants available (13) but may offer larger individual awards.
Writing efforts
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago emphasizes crafting essays for various specific scholarships, with guidance available for multiple themes.
University of South Florida
University of South Florida also provides essay writing resources but focuses on fewer scholarship themes.
Final verdict explanation
This “Final verdict explanation” frames 2026 readiness when applicants compare admits between Loyola University Chicago and University of South Florida but matchup prose skews abbreviated. Catalog columns quantify about 611 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Loyola University Chicago versus about 28 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with University of South Florida with shared ingestion logic so merit-versus-need mixes, openness of deadlines surfaced in-catalog, indexed award placeholders, or coaching guardrails interpret consistently. Treat them as directional triage—they never substitute registrar-validated ledger lines documenting endowed riders, departmental supplements, tuition waivers, Honors stackability, or athletic aid interplay beyond Title IV packaged awards.
Whenever narrative prose feels thin beside detailed tables, pair this matchup with Matches browsing, internationally inclusive corridors, streamlined application corridors, evergreen essay tooling, evergreen resource pillars, and citations listed below inside this page. Continue reconciling FAFSA outputs, institutional notifications, and enrollment contracts with campus counsel until net price matches commitments for 2026 and successive terms; ScholarshipTop catalogs and hubs illuminate workflows but never replace fiduciary advice tied to admitted-student paperwork.
Top grants by university
Largest active university-linked grants first. Each side shows the top three opportunities currently indexed for that school.
Law Firm, LLC Legal Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $1,500 and a 06.01.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
Burkette and Beth Burkette Family Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $6,000 and a 05.23.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
The Change the World Award
Communication and Journalism students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $500 and a 06.01.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
Pat and Harvey Endowed Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $5,000 and a 05.16.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
SoC Student Scholarship
Communication and Journalism students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $220 and a 06.01.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
USF Allen Club Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $3,000 and a 05.16.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
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FAQ
What percentage of students receive need-based aid at Loyola University Chicago?
What is the maximum scholarship amount available at the University of South Florida?
How many open grants are available at Loyola University Chicago?
What is the average scholarship amount at Loyola University Chicago?
Sources and official pages
Official university and high-authority pages used to support this comparison.
- Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- NCES College Navigator - government reference
- Peterson’s College Search - high-authority reference
More guides around this comparison
Internal reading paths for students comparing Loyola University Chicago and University of South Florida, with extra scholarship context and essay-writing support.
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