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University of South Florida vs Waubonsee Community College 2026
Who is it for? This comparison is for students weighing options between a large university and a community college. USF offers more merit aid, while Waubonsee has a higher number of available grants.
Institution A
Florida
University of South Florida
Institution B
Illinois
Waubonsee Community College
Quick comparison
Scholarships in catalog
University of South Florida
28
Waubonsee Community College
156
Avg. award (where known)
University of South Florida
$1,833
Waubonsee Community College
$953
Max award (index signal)
University of South Florida
$6,000
Waubonsee Community College
$3,500
Open deadlines share
University of South Florida
0%
Waubonsee Community College
0%
Merit vs need (approx.)
University of South Florida
Merit 53.6% / Need 46.4%
Waubonsee Community College
Merit 61.5% / Need 38.5%
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 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.
Waubonsee Community College
In-state tuition
$3,504
Annual, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$10,477
Annual, before aid
Median earnings
$44,788
10 years after entry
Enrollment
5,721
Undergraduate headcount
Research and institution context
Public research indicators can help compare academic activity; they do not imply scholarship eligibility.
Works count
264
Citation count
354
ROR identity
03dfsfy59
OpenAlex identity
I2799804793
Public research indicators are available from OpenAlex.
City rent and wage context
Public rent and wage estimates can help compare cost of attendance and relocation planning.
Sugar Grove, IL
HUD 1BR FMR
$794
Planning estimate
HUD 2BR FMR
$1,002
Planning estimate
- HUD fair-market rent estimates are available as planning context; use them alongside school cost and scholarship amount.
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 South Florida (USF) and Waubonsee Community College present distinct financial aid opportunities for prospective students. USF offers a higher average merit aid amount of $1,833 compared to Waubonsee's $953. Both institutions have different focuses in their aid distribution, with USF providing 46.4% need-based aid and Waubonsee offering 38.5%. Additionally, Waubonsee has a significantly larger number of grants available, with 156 open grants compared to USF's 13.
Writing efforts
University of South Florida
USF's essay themes focus on crafting compelling narratives for specific scholarships, emphasizing personal storytelling.
Waubonsee Community College
Waubonsee's essay themes also encourage personal storytelling but cover a broader range of scholarship opportunities.
Final verdict explanation
This “Final verdict explanation” frames 2026 readiness when applicants compare admits between University of South Florida and Waubonsee Community College but matchup prose skews abbreviated. Catalog columns quantify about 28 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with University of South Florida versus about 156 scholarships indexed today for listings commonly associated with Waubonsee Community College 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.
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.
Family Nursing Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $3,500 and a 05.04.26 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.
Annual Scholarship
Business Management and Marketing students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $2,500 and a 05.04.26 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.
Community College Faculty Council Awards Endowed Academic Scholarship
Education students can compare this scholarship with a listed award of $2,500 and a 05.04.26 deadline while planning eligibility fit and required materials.
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Not sure about the location?
Compare Florida vs Illinois scholarship markets to see how the broader state climate changes the funding picture.
FAQ
What percentage of students receive need-based aid at USF?
How much average merit aid can I expect from Waubonsee?
How many open grants are available at Waubonsee?
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 South Florida and Waubonsee Community College, with extra scholarship context and essay-writing support.
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