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University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

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The University of West Florida was last recognized as a College of Distinction in the 2024-2025 academic year.

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Founded in 1963, the University of West Florida is a public institution with more than 12,000 students in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and specialist programs. Its spirited community of learners forges new paths through education and research while embracing core values of caring, collaboration, entrepreneurship, innovation, creativity, and inclusiveness. 

The University of West Florida is creating the next generation of big thinkers who will change the world. Students challenge their limits in 70+ degree programs and small class sizes that ensure personalized attention from world-class faculty. 

Accreditation

UWF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. In addition, many UWF programs are nationally accredited within their discipline. 

Get to know University of West Florida

Enrolled female students
57%
 
Enrolled male students
43%
 
Gender Ratio
Full-time faculty
55%
 
Adjuncts
45%
 
Faculty Ratio
$16,587
Out-of-state tuition cost
June 30
Application deadline
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Acceptance rate
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Out-of-state students
-0%1%2%3%4%5%6%7%8%9%10%11%12%13%14%15%16%17%18%19%20%21%22%23%24%25%26%27%28%29%30%31%32%33%34%35%36%37%38%39%40%41%42%43%44%45%46%47%48%49%50%51%52%53%54%55%56%57%58%59%60%61%62%63%64%65%66%67%68%69%70%71%72%73%74%75%76%77%78%79%80%81%82%83%84%85%86%87%88%89%90%91%92%93%94%95%96%97%98%99%100%
Full-time faculty w/ terminal degree

Benefits

Student Activities

Student Activities

  • Campus Ministries
  • Choral groups
  • Concert band
  • Dance
  • Drama/theatre
  • International Student Organization
  • Jazz band
  • Literary magazine
  • Model UN
  • Music ensembles
  • Musical theatre
  • Pep band
  • Radio station
  • Student government
  • Student newspaper
  • Symphony orchestra
  • Television station
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High-Impact Practices

High-Impact Practices

  • First-Year Seminars and Experiences
  • Common Intellectual Experiences
  • Learning Communities
  • Writing-Intensive Courses
  • Collaborative Assignments and Projects
  • Undergraduate Research
  • Diversity/Global Learning
  • Service-Learning, Community-Based Learning
  • Internships/Coops/Practicums
  • Capstone Courses and Projects/Senior Experience
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Campus Resources

Campus Resources

  • Career Services
  • Writing Lab
  • Academic Advisors
  • Library Services
  • Faculty Mentors
  • Disability Services
  • Multicultural Engagement Center
  • Health Services
  • Academic Tutors
  • Financial Aid Advisors
  • Veteran Services
  • Peer Mentors
  • Counseling
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College Highlights

Engaged Students
Great Teaching
Vibrant Communities
Successful Outcomes
Admission & Aid
Engaged Students

“Everything you could ever imagine, anything you could ever want from a university, UWF has.” – Wadey Abdel Qader, student and research assistant

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
UWF’s Office of Undergraduate Research encourages students from all disciplines to pursue funded research beginning their freshman year. The office offers travel grants, a research exploration program, work-study research assistantships, and more. Each spring, students and faculty present their work through poster and oral presentations, an engineering showcase, music performances, and visual art at the Student Scholars Symposium and Faculty Research Showcase. In addition to offering specialized opportunities, UWF has been selected to host the 2022 National Conference on Undergraduate Research.“

The summer after my freshman year, I was fully funded by the Office of Undergraduate Research to go with a team of interdisciplinary students and faculty to a conference in Hong Kong. Presenting research for the first time, it opened my eyes to what I could really do and what I could be a part of.” – Haley McQueen, student

DIVERSITY
UWF believes that success is unlimited when its community is seen, heard and understood. Diversity Programs advance the guiding principles of acceptance, awareness, and respect. Faculty, staff, and students are eligible to earn the University’s Cross-Cultural Competency Certificate at no cost, and monthly Campus Conversations events welcome the campus to build community through discussion.

GLOBAL QUARTER
Global Quarter is the place where cross-cultural communication comes to life! This vibrant global community welcomes new international students to UWF, connects future study abroad students to exchange students from partner universities, and promotes multicultural understanding on campus and in the Pensacola community. 

Exchange programs and UWF Global Quarter offer students an opportunity to directly participate in global citizenship. Their mission is to help UWF become a truly global university, facilitating interaction and engagement of international students with globally minded UWF students.

CLASS SIZE
The number of sections of each class size.
2-9: 83 | 10-19: 187 | 20-29: 265
30-39: 125 | 40-49: 69 | 50-99: 63 | 100+: 8

ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Nonresident aliens: 2%
Hispanic/Latino: 10%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 12%
White, non-Hispanic: 65%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 1%
Asian, non-Hispanic: 3%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 0%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 6%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 2%

Great Teaching

“Students are individuals, not numbers. I love the fact that I can get to know my students by name, get to know their dreams, their aspirations, and then show them that I believe in them and motivate them to actually achieve them.” – Dr. Erica Taylor, biology instructor

“The education that I received at UWF provided me with an excellent foundation for graduate school. The opportunity to conduct research and polish independent, creative thinking skills were critical to my development. Had it not been for the faculty at UWF seeing my potential and going out of their way to express confidence in me, I’m not sure that I would have attended graduate school. The support of the faculty and their dedication to the success of their students made a difference in my life.” – Janae Baptiste (’13), Ph.D.

SPECIAL STUDY OPTIONS
Programs available at this institution.
Accelerated program
Cooperative education program
Distance learning
Double major
Dual enrollment
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Exchange student program (domestic)
Honors Program
Independent study
Internships
Study abroad
Teacher certification program

Vibrant Communities

LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITIES
UWF offers a variety of Living-Learning Communities to further connect students academically and socially to campus. These communities range from STEM to Global and are designed to foster growth between like-minded students, all while exposing them to unique perspectives and experiences.

STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
UWF boasts more than 160 registered student organizations. Student organizations play a vital role in the campus life, engaging thousands of students in a variety of valuable experiences and relationships. Student Involvement’s role is to promote student involvement, create a vibrant campus life, and support student leaders in achieving organizational and personal goals. From the Argo Gaming Club to Fraternity and Sorority Life, there is a student organization out there to fit a student’s interests.

SERVICE-LEARNING
Annual opportunities to serve the greater community include UWF’s, Dance Marathon, MLK Day of Service, and Founders Week Day of Service.

SCHOOL LOCATION
Located in sunny Pensacola, UWF’s main campus is known for its beauty and proximity to a thriving downtown and some of the nation’s top-ranked beaches. The 1,600-acre main campus features gardens, trails, and a bayou boardwalk. UWF also offers programs at its Emerald Coast site in Fort Walton Beach and online. UWF’s strong presence in Downtown Pensacola includes the Pensacola Museum of Art and several museums overseen by the UWF Historic Trust. The UWF Argonauts play home football games at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ waterfront stadium. Pensacola is just three hours east of New Orleans and five hours southwest of Atlanta.

ATHLETICS
UWF Athletics builds champions for life, fielding seven men’s and eight women’s teams, including the 2019 NCAA DII National Championship-winning football team. The Argonauts compete in the Gulf South Conference and have won 103 conference championships and 10 national championships.

RESIDENCE LIFE
Percent of students living on campus.
First-time, first-year (freshman) students: 41%
Undergraduates: 13%

Campus housing options.
Coed dorms
Apartments for single students
Fraternity/sorority housing
Wellness housing

Successful Outcomes

“I actually heard about my internship opportunity through a career fair. … [Career Development and Community Engagement] really helped me get this internship and now a job here at Navy Federal.” – Alexandrea Loomis

Admission & Aid

Admission

The University of West Florida is committed to reducing financial barriers to education. UWF offers generous automatic-consideration, merit-based scholarships as well as competitive, full-ride scholarships. UWF has one of the most affordable tuition rates in Florida and a special Alabama tuition rate that beats most Alabama public universities’. As a sign of its commitment to affordability, UWF provides the Argo 30 Guarantee to Pell Grant-eligible students who are classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes. The Argo 30 Guarantee covers tuition and mandatory fees not covered by other grants or scholarships for students who meet all eligibility requirements.

“Introducing the Argo Spirit Scholarship is another step toward increasing accessibility to higher education at UWF. This scholarship is an opportunity to view a student holistically and recognize and reward scholarship recipients who have shown strength in areas in addition to academics.” – UWF President Martha D. Saunders

ADMISSIONS FACTORS
Very Important
Rigor of secondary school record | Academic GPA | Standardized test scores
State residency | Level of applicant’s interest

Considered
Application Essay | Recommendation(s) | Extracurricular activities | Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities | First generation | Alumni/ae relation
Geographical residence | Volunteer work | Work experience

FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 550 | 75th Percentile: 630
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 530 | 75th Percentile: 600
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 22 | 75th Percentile: 27
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 20 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT English
25th Percentile: 21 | 75th Percentile: 27

Tuition & Cost

Tuition (in-state): $4,319
Tuition (out-of-state): $16,587
Fees: $2,041
Room: $5,880
Board: $4,368

What Others are Saying

“UWF’s ongoing commitment to education, research, lifelong learning and community is extremely impressive and has a remarkable impact on the region and a growing impact on the country.”
— UWF alumna and Trustee Jill Singer

Contact University of West Florida

Contact Admissions

uwf.edu/admissions/undergraduate/
(800) 263-1074
admissions@uwf.edu

Campus Location

11000 University Pkwy
Pensacola, FL 32514

(850) 474-2000

 

Visit UWF Online

uwf.edu/

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