Stetson University
DeLand, Florida
Named one of the best colleges in America, Stetson combines academic excellence in more than 100 areas of study with hands-on learning through research, study abroad and internships. Students thrive in small classes and work closely with first-rate faculty to reach their full potential in rewarding careers and successful lives. Discover the transformative power of a Stetson education and the beauty of this historic, private institution, located close to beaches and theme parks in sunny Central Florida.
Get to know Stetson University
College Highlights
“The reason that I came to Stetson and the reason why I’m doing so well is because every single person I’ve met here on campus has genuinely wanted me to succeed. … So, it’s really a community, almost like a family. … It’s what I love about Stetson.” — Erica Kok, ‘19 Computer Science, now Vice President at JPMorgan Chase & Co., Product Manager working on Network Security
Undergraduate Research
Stetson has a long tradition of celebrating undergraduate research and creative projects from every academic discipline across campus. From the sciences to the arts and business, students develop projects that highlight the knowledge and skills they have gained during their time at Stetson.
Through the Stetson Undergraduate Research Experience, students apply for SURE Grants to fund an intensive summer research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. They and other students share their research at the annual Stetson Showcase, a campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, with judges awarding prizes to top presentations.
Undergraduates also can work in labs with faculty and help on their scientific research. Students have even co-authored papers and articles with professors and made presentations at scientific meetings — experiences that can help open doors to top graduate schools.
Internships
Internships play a critical role in providing transformational experiential learning opportunities that enable students to apply classroom concepts to real-world settings. With employer partners, including Delta Air Lines, The Walt Disney Company, Charles Schwab, Lockheed Martin, FBI, Brown & Brown Insurance, AdventHealth and many K-12 Florida school districts, Stetson is known for its top talent and preparing graduates with a well-rounded liberal arts education.
Study Abroad
Stetson offers more than 100 faculty-led, exchange, and affiliate programs for study abroad. Donor funds and university partnerships can provide scholarships. The Rinker Global Scholars Program offers scholarships that significantly subsidize the cost for students to embark on an interdisciplinary program over spring break during their sophomore year, such as a recent trip to Venice.
A Commitment to Service
Stetson is consistently recognized as one of the most civically active campuses in the country. Stetson has twice received the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement (2008 and 2015), the highest accreditation a college or university can receive for an exemplary institutional commitment to community engagement.
Stetson is the only school in Florida (and one of 22 in the country) with a Bonner Program, endowed by the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, which can meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need when they intern part-time with a local community partner during their time at Stetson. Stetson also is an All-In Campus Democracy Challenge “Gold” campus for its 73.8% student turnout during the 2020 election cycle, the highest of all private institutions in Florida.
ENROLLMENT BY ETHNICITY
Non-U.S. Citizen: 167
Hispanic/Latinx: 496
Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 295
White, non-Hispanic: 1,326
Native/Indigenous American or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: 2
Asian, non-Hispanic: 45
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: 4
Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 150
Race and/or ethnicity unknown: 32
TOTAL: 2,517
“It never occurred to me that I could be doing this while I was in college. The fact that Stetson encourages student entrepreneurship is amazing and opened up a lot of doors for me.” — Kendall Buck, ‘23 Entrepreneurship and Management, who appeared on Fox Business Network’s “Billion Dollar Idea” TV show as a student entrepreneur and now owns her own business
Stetson offers nationally recognized programs and a long history of academic excellence, having started the first schools of law, business and music in the state of Florida. It also was the first private college in Florida to host a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society, which today has chapters at only 10% of U.S. colleges and universities.
Individual Attention
Students enjoy a relationship-rich education at Stetson. The student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 provides an environment where professors care about their success, have time to provide individual attention and serve as mentors.
Top Faculty
Among full-time professors, 93% have earned PhDs or the highest degree available in their field, and many receive prestigious awards and grants. In fact, Stetson was named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars in 2019-2020.
Areas of Study
Students can select from more than 100 areas of study. Nationally recognized programs include the Digital Arts Program, named one of the top 50 undergraduate programs in the country for game design.
The School of Business Administration holds accreditation from AACSB International, awarded to less than 6% of business schools worldwide, and belongs to an elite group of only 194 institutions in the world with both their business and accounting programs accredited by AACSB. The School of Music is regarded as one of the nation’s finest undergraduate-only schools of music.
Signature programs include the Pre-Law Program, which offers an accelerated degree and direct admission into the Stetson College of Law, named the best in the nation for Trial Advocacy.
“Collaboration with students is what Stetson is all about. Work both in the lab and in the field is critical to their development, and especially for seniors working on their research projects; it gives them something really cool to work on.” — Biology Professor Terence Farrell, PhD, whose students help with his research on snakes
SPECIAL STUDY OPTIONS
Programs available at this institution.
Accelerated program
Distance learning
Double major
Exchange student program (domestic)
Honors Program
Independent study
Internships
Liberal arts/career combination
Student-designed major
Study abroad
Teacher certification program
Undergraduate Research
Student Life
This vibrant and diverse residential campus offers more than 100 student organizations, Greek life, club and intramural sports, and 18 NCAA Division I teams, including football. Stetson welcomes an increasingly diverse student body that comes from across America and 56 countries.
Students will find 17 fraternities and sororities, an active Student Government Association, a student-run internet radio station and multicultural groups, including the Black Student Association, Latinx Student Union, Jewish Student Organization, Asian Pacific American Coalition, Kaleidoscope and Muslim Student Association. Getting involved on campus isn’t just a pastime for students, it’s a Hatter tradition.
Housing and Dining
There are 29 residence halls and housing options, including Community Catalyst Houses and 24-hour quiet living. Stetson frequently makes the lists of most pet-friendly colleges in the country and allows students to bring dogs, cats, rabbits, geckos and more.
Four dining options are available on campus, including the Commons dining hall, with made-to-order food stations and options for vegan, vegetarian, Halal and those avoiding eight food allergens.
Campus safety receives good ratings and Public Safety officers can provide escorted rides across campus at night.
Beautiful Campus, Great Downtown
Stetson was named one of the “Most Beautiful College Campuses In the South” by Country Living magazine. The well-manicured campus features red brick buildings, fountains, sabal palms and live oak trees, draped in Spanish moss. In addition, Stetson’s campus is located only a couple blocks from historic Downtown DeLand, offering restaurants, shops, bars and a popular farmer’s market.
“Stetson always had a little special place in my heart just because they gave me my only opportunity to play DI (NCAA Division I) football.” — Donald Parham Jr., tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers
Athletics
Athletics has been rooted in Stetson history since students played the first intramural football game in 1894. Today, teams compete in 18 NCAA Division I sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, tennis and soccer.
Stetson has produced many star athletes who have gone on to successful careers, on and off the field, including:
- Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom, two-time winner of the NL Cy Young Award
- Boston Red Sox pitcher Corey Kluber, two-time winner of the AL Cy Young Award
- Golfer Sam Ryder, who plays on the PGA Tour
- Women’s Basketball player Nefertiti Walker, PhD, now Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Percentage of students living on campus.
First-time, first-year (freshman) students: 85%
Undergraduates: 65%
Campus housing options.
Coed dorms
Men’s dorms
Women’s dorms
Apartments for single students
Fraternity/sorority housing
Theme housing
Living Learning Communities
Gender-Inclusive housing
24 Hour Quiet Community
Animal-friendly options (pets allowed)
“I get calls from employers. In this semester, I’ve probably already got a half a dozen calls from employers with our students just raving about, man, they want more, meaning they want to hire more of our RGIP (Roland George Investments Program) students.” — David Mascio, PhD, Roland and Sarah George Professor of Investments
Successful graduates
With Stetson’s commitment to academic excellence, its graduates enjoy a 91% success rate, securing meaningful employment or gaining admission to many top graduate schools.
Career Services for Life
Stetson’s mission is to empower students and alumni to reach their professional and personal aspirations. The staff in Stetson’s Office of Career and Professional Development offer free lifetime services for students and alumni to help ensure their success.
Notable Alumni
Stetson alumni serve as a testament to the transformative power of a Stetson education, whether they are lawyers or doctors, sing opera at the Met, or help on the Nobel Prize-winning observation of gravitational waves in space. Notable alumni include:
- Glen Hauenstein, ‘82 Finance, President of Delta Air Lines.
- Dr. Sarah Caudill, ‘06 Physics, Assistant Physics Professor at UMass Dartmouth, who helped on the team of the American physicists, who won the Nobel Prize for observing gravitational waves.
- Dr. Maureen O’Shaughnessy, ’06 International Studies, orthopaedic hand surgeon at UK (University of Kentucky) HealthCare Hand Center and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery.
- Donovan Singletary, ‘06 Music Performance – Voice, opera singer who has performed with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, as well as performing around the world.
- Avantika Hari Agrawal, ‘02 Digital Arts and Economics, writer and director for the award-winning film, “Land Gold Women,” which dealt with the issue of “honor killing.”
- Jim Shore, ‘77 History, ‘80 JD, first person in the Seminole Tribe to graduate from law school.
- Ted Cassidy, ‘55 Speech and Drama, starred as Lurch in the 1960s TV series, The Addams Family.
Admission
Admissions recruiters are available to help during every step of the admission process. Interested students can apply with:
- No application fee
- No new essay required (use a previously graded paper)
- Guaranteed on-campus housing for 3 years
ADMISSIONS FACTORS
Very Important
Rigor of secondary school record
Academic GPA
Important
Class rank
Application Essay
Recommendation(s)
Interview
Extracurricular activities
Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities
Volunteer work
Work experience
Considered
Standardized test scores
Alumni/ae relation
Geographical residence
State residency
Racial/ethnic status
TEST SCORES
ACT and SAT tests are not required but considered if submitted
FRESHMAN PROFILE
SAT Composite
25th Percentile: 1055 | 75th Percentile: 1260
SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
25th Percentile: 540 | 75th Percentile: 650
SAT Math
25th Percentile: 505 | 75th Percentile: 620
ACT Composite
25th Percentile: 20 | 75th Percentile: 27
ACT Math
25th Percentile: 18 | 75th Percentile: 26
ACT English
25th Percentile: 19.5 | 75th Percentile: 28
Tuition & Cost
Tuition: $54,820
Fees: $400
Room & Board: $16,030
Room Only: $8,912
Board Only: $7,118
Aid
The Office of Student Financial Aid is committed to helping make higher education affordable to our students. The average undergraduate financial aid package was $48,478 for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Contact Stetson University
Contact Admissions
Campus Location
DeLand Campus
421 N. Woodland Blvd.
DeLand, Florida 32723
(386) 822-7000