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University of North Florida vs. University of South Florida 2026
Who is it for? This comparison is for students seeking financial aid options at both universities. UNF offers a higher average grant amount and a greater percentage of merit-based aid, while USF has a higher need-based aid percentage.
Institution A
Florida
University of North Florida
Institution B
Florida
University of South Florida
Quick comparison
Scholarships in catalog
University of North Florida
125
University of South Florida
28
Avg. award (where known)
University of North Florida
$2,064
University of South Florida
$1,833
Max award (index signal)
University of North Florida
$10,500
University of South Florida
$6,000
Open deadlines share
University of North Florida
0%
University of South Florida
0%
Merit vs need (approx.)
University of North Florida
Merit 77.6% / Need 22.4%
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 OEWSUniversity of North Florida
In-state tuition
$6,389
Annual, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$20,793
Annual, before aid
Admission rate
53.2%
Completion rate
69.2%
Median earnings
$56,343
10 years after entry
Enrollment
13,359
Undergraduate headcount
Research and institution context
Public research indicators can help compare academic activity; they do not imply scholarship eligibility.
Works count
11,610
Citation count
273,861
NIH projects
46
NIH funding band
$1M-$10M
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.
Jacksonville, FL | Jacksonville, FL
Latest rent estimate
$1,589
2026-04
12-mo rent change
+0.7%
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.
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
The University of North Florida (UNF) provides a robust financial aid package with 77.6% of its aid being merit-based, averaging $2,063.51 per grant, while offering a maximum of $10,500. In contrast, the University of South Florida (USF) has a higher need-based aid percentage at 46.4%, with an average grant amount of $1,833.33 and a maximum of $6,000. UNF has a total of 125 grants available, whereas USF has 28 grants, with 13 currently open for applications.
Writing efforts
University of North Florida
UNF emphasizes a variety of scholarships, including specific themes for essays related to various fellowships and scholarships, indicating a broad range of opportunities for applicants.
University of South Florida
USF's essay themes focus on fewer scholarships, suggesting a more targeted approach, but potentially less variety in essay topics compared to UNF.
Final verdict explanation
This “Final verdict explanation” frames 2026 readiness when applicants compare admits between University of North Florida and University of South Florida but matchup prose skews abbreviated. Catalog columns quantify about 125 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with University of North Florida 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.
and Blanche Coggin Global MBA Felloship
Business Management and Marketing students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $10,500 and a 04.15.26 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.
Education Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $6,000 and a 04.15.26 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.
Roddenberry Graduate Fellowships for Teaching Excellence
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $5,000 and a 04.15.26 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 is the average grant amount at UNF?
How much need-based aid does USF offer?
How many grants are available at UNF?
What is the maximum grant amount at USF?
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 University of North Florida and University of South Florida, with extra scholarship context and essay-writing support.
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