University of West Florida
About
The University of West Florida is a public university in Pensacola, Florida, United States. Established in 1963 as a member institution of the State University System of Florida, the University of West Florida is a comprehensive research university without faculties of law or medicine, a designated space-grant institution, and sits on the third-largest campus in the State University System, at 1,600 acres (650 ha). The university's mascot is Argie the Argonaut and its logo is the chambered nautilus.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 129 Title IV programs, 38 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 91 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing38 · 29.5%
- No Data91 · 70.5%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 7
Action history · 12
- Dec 2025Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Sep 2022Removal of Show Cause StatusCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Jun 2022Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
- Apr 2022Removal of Show Cause StatusCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Jan 2022Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Show CauseCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 4,256 students received $24.4M in Pell grants, alongside $54.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,758 borrowers who entered repayment, 51 (1.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at University of West Florida
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus6
- Non-campus1
Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Martin Hall1 fireOpen flamesDamage $1,000-$9,999
- Pace Hall1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
University of West Florida vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions University of West Florida selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of West Florida | 59% | — | 14,822 | $8,155 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
East Tennessee State University | 53% | 86.2% | 13,728 | $15,794 | R2 Research |
Indiana State University | 43% | 80.8% | 7,895 | $12,188 | Doctoral/Professional |
Rowan University | 67% | 77.7% | 21,026 | $22,185 | R2 Research |
Stephen F Austin State University | 53% | 94.0% | 10,472 | $15,152 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
University of Arkansas at Little Rock | 37% | 58.8% | 8,216 | $16,136 | R2 Research |
University of Massachusetts-Lowell | 65% | 83.0% | 16,598 | $18,627 | R2 Research |
University of South Dakota | 60% | 98.8% | 10,619 | $19,155 | R2 Research |
University of West Georgia | 43% | 51.6% | 14,337 | $15,450 | Doctoral/Professional |
Valdosta State University | 42% | 72.3% | 10,262 | $11,298 | Doctoral/Professional |
Western Carolina University | 60% | 81.8% | 11,686 | $12,579 | Doctoral/Professional |
| Peer group median | 53% | 81.3% | 11,686 | $15,450 |
University of West Florida Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Institutional Research department is responsible for collecting, processing, and submitting university data to the Florida Board of Governors, and works closely with university leadership, faculty, and staff to support metric performance and provide data for grant requests and research.
Visit IR office page- Christophe LizenAssistant Vice President
- Nadya CollinsAssistant Director
- Jonathan LeeData Scientist
- Chase GreenFull Stack Developer
- Ashton GrayData Analyst
Common Data Set (17)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboarduwf.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- GlossaryResearch Glossary | University of West FloridaThe University of West Florida's Research Glossary offers a comprehensive list of research terms and acronyms relevant to university research administration. It provides definitions and explaining various concepts such as cost principles, audit procedures, contract details, and funding processes. This glossary aims to standardize terminology across research activities, facilitating better understanding and management of research projects within higher education and affiliated institutions.uwf.edu
- Strategic planUniversity of West Florida's Strategic Plan2022The University of West Florida's Strategic Plan for 2022-2027 focuses on seven strategic directions aimed at growth and impact, aligning with the institution's mission to provide learner-focused education. These directions include enhancing student experiences, supporting employee success, aligning academic programming with state needs, boosting community engagement, reinforcing infrastructure, ensuring operational excellence, and fostering a culture of respect and civility. Metrics associated with these goals measure success in enrollment, employee retention, academic program quality, community partnerships, resource efficiency, and maintaining a welcoming campus environment.uwf.edu
Notable alumni of University of West Florida (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Kenneth CockrellMilitary, space, and aviation
- Carmen Maria MartinezPolitics
- Michael DeMariaAcademics
- Ligel LambertArt
- Daniela CruzAthletics
- Mark EttlesAthletics
- Mickey GorkaAthletics
- Roy Jones Jr.Athletics
- Moochie NorrisAthletics
- Jodi-Ann RobinsonAthletics
- Keith SavageAthletics
- Kevin WarrickAthletics
Frequently asked questions about University of West Florida
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University of West Florida.
What is the graduation rate at University of West Florida?
How many students attend University of West Florida?
What is the average net price at University of West Florida?
What is the yield rate at University of West Florida?
Where is University of West Florida located?
Who runs Institutional Research at University of West Florida?
Have a question this page can’t answer?
Ask Clema anything about University of West Florida and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card