Colleges in Orlando, Florida: All 6 Schools

With sunny skies, cool lakes, and over a dozen theme parks, it’s easy to see why Orlando is a tourist destination. But it’s also a great place for college.

There are six colleges in Orlando, including a large public research university and smaller liberal arts colleges. In total, Orlando universities bring over 85,000 students to the city.

We’ve compiled a list of all Orlando colleges for you to consider. To make your choice, compare variables like school size, tuition, acceptance rate, reputation, and student life.

If tropical central Florida appeals to you, consider one of these Orlando colleges. We’ve highlighted three of the most popular options based on factors like number of applicants, academic rigor, and overall reputation.

The following school data was sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and reflects information from 2022.

We’ve created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit universities in Orlando and the surrounding area. You can use the table below to compare data on student populations, average net costs, acceptance rates, and number of applicants.

All data comes from NCES. Schools with fewer than 500 undergraduates were not included in this list.

You might think of Orlando as a tourist town, but over 80% of Orlando employees work outside the hospitality and leisure sector. In fact, the key sectors contributing to Orlando’s economic growth include healthcare, fintech, business, and digital media.

In these growing fields, a college degree can help launch your career. Attending Orlando colleges can also give you a head start when it comes to networking in college and beyond.

Although the cost of living in Orlando is slightly above the national average — according to Payscale data — it’s still relatively affordable compared to many other major cities. That said, costs can still add up quickly for students.

You can lower your living expenses by getting roommates and sharing utility costs. Students also qualify for many discounts, including discounted transportation passes and access to campus health centers.

Accredited Orlando colleges also offer many types of financial aid to help cover costs, including federal student aid programs, grants, and scholarships.

One of the best colleges in Orlando is the University of Central Florida. It enrolls over 68,000 students and operators as an affordable public institution. It also reports the most selective admissions of any college in Orlando, admitting less than half of the more than 50,000 students who apply every year.

You might qualify for in-state tuition in Orlando if you’ve been a Florida resident for at least a year.

At UCF — the only public university in Orlando — you’ll need to show that you’ve lived in the state for at least 12 months with plans to live in Florida after college. You might need to share documentation like a driver’s license, lease, voter registration, or other documents.

The University of Central Florida offers many online programs through UCF Online. You can also create a hybrid schedule with both on-campus and online courses. Or, choose from other online colleges in Florida for your degree.

The hardest college to get into in Orlando is AdventHealth University. The private institution receives around 700 applications every year. Among those aspiring students, only 34% received an acceptance letter in fall 2022, according to NCES.

There are six nonprofit four-year colleges in Orlando, Florida, including the University of Central Florida, Rollins College, and Stetson University. You can choose from public or private colleges in Orlando. Combined, these Orlando colleges enroll over 85,000 students.