Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPrivate (for-profit)

Full Sail University

Winter Park, Florida·Private for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·fullsail.edu
6-yr Graduation
44%
+18.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
27,169
peer median 5,498
Avg net price
$38,875
+$18k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AboutOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersDocuments

About

Full Sail University is a private for-profit university in Winter Park, Florida. It was formerly a recording studio in Dayton, Ohio named Full Sail Productions and Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts. The school moved to Florida in 1980, began offering bachelor's degrees in 2005, and began offering online degrees in 2007. The following year, the school was granted university status by the Florida Department of Education.

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
44%+18.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
44%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
45%
Full-time retention
53%

Pell equity

10.0pp gap
Pell recipients
41%1281 of 3103
Non-Pell (all)
51%724 of 1420
Subsidized loan, no Pell
59%308 of 521
No Federal Aid
46%416 of 899

Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 78 Title IV programs, 31 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 15 fail. 32 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
78
Passing
31
39.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
15
19.2% of portfolio
Fail rate
19.2%
+18.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

78programs
  • Passing31 · 39.7%
  • No Data32 · 41.0%
  • Failing15 · 19.2%

Severity spectrum

Critical
4
Severe
6
Recoverable
5
At Risk
8
Watch
6
Safe
17
No data
32

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

46
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
-29.0%
$42,689 vs $60,112
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-28.7%
$24,816 vs $34,808
Communications Technologies/Technicians
Associate Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
-22.9%
$26,827 vs $34,808
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-18.9%
$39,171 vs $48,304
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-11.1%
$30,931 vs $34,808
Journalism
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
-9.4%
$53,227 vs $58,761
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Master's Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
-9.1%
$44,962 vs $49,483
Public Relations Advertising and Applied Communication
Master's Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
-8.4%
$53,820 vs $58,761

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

8
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
-4.0%
−$1,379
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.5%
−$1,229
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.3%
−$1,594
Human Computer Interaction
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
-0.7%
−$377
Marketing
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
-0.6%
−$340
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
0.0%
+$10
Music
Associate Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+0.5%
+$179
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Associate Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+4.1%
+$1,412

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

47
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
139%
$54,395 debt · $39,171 earn
Graphic Communications
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
121%
$42,000 debt · $34,818 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
108%
$36,000 debt · $33,429 earn
Human Computer Interaction
Master's Degree · Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
96%
$50,949 debt · $53,230 earn
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians
Bachelor Degree · Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
93%
$40,922 debt · $44,012 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
84%
$37,659 debt · $44,962 earn
Arts Entertainment and Media Management
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
84%
$32,500 debt · $38,847 earn
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
82%
$35,077 debt · $42,689 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Accredited since 1986Next review Feb 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 3

  1. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
  2. Aug 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
  3. Apr 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$38,738
$30–48k$38,162
$48–75k$38,181
$75–110k$40,236
$110k+$41,762

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$38,875
+$17,825vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $21,050
Federal loans
63.1%
In-state tuition
$26,906
Out-of-state
$26,906

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 21,637 students received $144.5M in Pell grants, alongside $285.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
21,637
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$144.5M
$144,476,159 total
Direct Loans
$285.2M
44,312 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

16k
’20
19k
’21
21k
’22
21k
’23
22k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$95.2M
20,838 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$115.7M
20,476 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$30.2M
1,297 loan awards
Parent PLUS$38.0M
1,448 loan awards
Grad PLUS$6.1M
253 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 8,360 borrowers who entered repayment, 257 (3.0%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.0%
+0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
8,360
Defaulted
257
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
13.0%
2017
14.6%
2018
11.7%
2019
3.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Full Sail

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs42
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

7,097 total completions
01Visual/Performing Arts
3,00242.3%
02Comm. Technologies
88512.5%
03Computer Sciences
6839.6%
04Multi/Interdisciplinary
6509.2%
05Engineering Tech
5908.3%
06English Language
3905.5%
07Communication
3605.1%
08Business
3044.3%
09Engineering
1792.5%
10Education
540.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
27,169
12-mo unduplicated
39,170
Undergraduate
36,949
Graduate
2,221

Gender split

Men
67%26,255
Women
33%12,915

Race / ethnicity composition

White
35.0%
Black
32.0%
Hispanic
19.6%
Two or more
6.8%
Unknown
4.0%
Asian
1.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3%
Non-resident
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
103
96 M · 7 W
Women athletes
6.8%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$273K
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
—
—
Recruiting expense
—
—
Head-coach salaries
—
—
Men Women

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.04
1 offenses · 26,421 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.041 yr ago0.04Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
2
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
1
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

1total
  • On campus1

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
32.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
775

Full Sail vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Full Sail selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectFull Sail University
44%—27,169$38,875Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Academy of Art University
34%—5,498$40,613Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
American InterContinental University System
6%—11,277$15,172Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
American Public University System
47%—50,715$9,597Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Columbia Southern University
26%—17,763$14,580Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Post University
24%96.5%16,178$21,634Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
School of Visual Arts
76%92.6%3,812$57,914Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
South University-Savannah
17%—716$28,743Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Strayer University-North Carolina
33%—3,037$21,050Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Strayer University-Virginia
19%—1,998$19,578Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Phoenix-California
23%—34$13,172Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median26%94.6%5,498$21,050

Institutions like Full Sail

Explore the federal data for institutions in Full Sail's comparison group.

IPEDS

Reports & documents (1)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Frequently asked questions about Full Sail University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Full Sail.

What is the graduation rate at Full Sail University?

Full Sail University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 44% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Full Sail University?

Full Sail University reports a total enrollment of 27,169 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Full Sail University?

The average net price at Full Sail University is $38,875 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Full Sail University located?

Full Sail University is located in Winter Park, Florida 32792-7429.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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