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Gainesville, FL DowntownPhoto: Rbrko · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Gainesville

Gainesville is a college town: 35 of every 100 residents are students

The University of Florida (46,675 students on campus) and Galen Health Institutes-Gainesville (638) are inside the city. Across Florida, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town35% of residents are studentsUniversity of Florida

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Gainesville. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
57,380 students on campus
Nearest college
2.3 mi
University of Florida
Residents in college
35%
Above FL (6%)
Nearest community college
5.2 mi
Santa Fe College · $2,563 tuition
Nearest public university
2.3 mi
University of Florida · $6,381 in-state
Students on campus in Gainesville
47,313
next to 148,671 residents

What stands out about college in Gainesville

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town35 of every 100 Gainesville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.A university in GainesvilleThe University of Florida has 46,675 students on campus in Gainesville, 91% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of FloridaLiving in Florida, the University of Florida charges $6,381 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $28,659. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 5.2 miles awaySanta Fe College in Gainesville: tuition and fees $2,563 a year for Florida residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Gainesville

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

35 of every 100 Gainesville residents are in college (FL: 6).

47,313students on campus at Gainesville’s 2 colleges, next to 148,671 residents (dorm students count as residents)
36,571college students live in Gainesville households rather than dorms
26.5median age · FL 42.6
53%of residents are women · FL 51% (±0.7 points)
62%of homes rented · FL 32%
$1,296median rent · 22% below the state
GainesvilleGainesville, FL
Cost of living$1,296/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Gainesville’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 30.9% of Gainesville residents are below the poverty line, 18.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 62% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (35% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Gainesville’s median age is 26.5 (Florida 42.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Gainesville

One private college within 5.4 miles, one public college within 2.3 miles, and Santa Fe College 5.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of FloridaSanta Fe CollegeGalen Health Institutes-GainesvilleGainesville
University or collegeCommunity college
University of FloridaUniversity or college · Public · 46,675 on campus · In Gainesville24%admitted$7knet price91%graduate$72kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Santa Fe CollegeCommunity college · Public · 10,067 on campus · 5.2 mi · Gainesville$11knet price53%graduate$42kearningsTuition and fees: $2,563 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Galen Health Institutes-GainesvilleUniversity or college · For-profit · 638 on campus · In Gainesville$30knet price$61kearningsEarnings are reported for all 20 campuses that file with it.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Gainesville’s median household income ($46,195) falls.

University of FloridaIn Gainesville · sticker $22,523$2,768a year
Santa Fe College5.2 mi · Gainesville · sticker $14,165 · tuition $2,563$10,485a year
Galen Health Institutes-GainesvilleIn Gainesville · sticker $35,576$30,177a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Gainesville: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of FloridaSanta Fe College
University of Florida91% graduate$72k earnings*$15k typical debt
Santa Fe College53% graduate$42k earnings$11k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: University of Florida (2).

Majors

What students study in Gainesville

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Gainesville’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Engineering 14%Business 13%Biology 10%Social sciences 10%Health professions 8%Communication 6%Everything else 39%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralUniversity of Florida · 635 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralUniversity of Florida · 630 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsUniversity of Florida · 556 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralUniversity of Florida · 424 graduates a year
$126k4 yrs out
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationUniversity of Florida · 381 graduates a year
$70k4 yrs out
Political Science and GovernmentUniversity of Florida · 337 graduates a year
$70k4 yrs out
EconomicsUniversity of Florida · 335 graduates a year
$89k4 yrs out
Mechanical EngineeringUniversity of Florida · 268 graduates a year
$97k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Gainesville

Is Gainesville a college town?

Yes. 35 of every 100 Gainesville residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Florida. The University of Florida has 46,675 students on campus, next to 148,671 residents.

What colleges are in Gainesville?

The University of Florida and Galen Health Institutes-Gainesville are inside the city. Santa Fe College is 5.2 miles away in Gainesville.

Why is Gainesville’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 30.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 18.3% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Gainesville, and what does it cost?

Santa Fe College in Gainesville, 5.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,563 a year for Florida residents; the federal net price, $11,098, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of Florida?

The University of Florida admitted 24% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,320–1,480 on the SAT.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Gainesville. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →