UCF Acceptance Rate
The UCF acceptance rate is about 33%. The University of Central Florida received 51,692 first-time-in-college applications, admitted 17,027 students and enrolled 4,699.
UCF is the largest university in Florida by enrollment at 70,674 students and one of the largest in the United States. That combination, very large and increasingly selective, is unusual and it is what makes this page worth reading past the headline.
miami City properties
Find your perfect student accommodation
UCF Acceptance Rate at a Glance
| Measure | 2025-26 |
| First-time-in-college applications | 51,692 |
| Admitted | 17,027 |
| Acceptance rate | About 33% |
| Enrolled | 4,699 |
| Yield | About 28% |
| Total enrollment, all levels | 70,674 |
| In-state tuition and fees | $6,368 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $24,076 |
Getting Bigger and Harder at the Same Time
Most large universities stay large by admitting generously. UCF has been doing the opposite.
A 2023 report put UCF's rate at 39.5%, from 60,627 applicants with 23,961 admitted. The current figure is about 33%. Over that period UCF moved to third in Florida for selectivity, behind only the University of Florida and Florida State, and into the top 100 nationally.
For an applicant the practical point is simple: UCF is no longer a safety school, and advice from even three years ago treats it as one. If your list has UCF as the fallback beneath UF and FSU, it needs something genuinely less selective beneath it as well. FAU at 66.12% is the obvious candidate.
| University | Acceptance rate | Guide |
| University of Florida | 19% | UF acceptance rate |
| Florida A&M | 20.6% | FAMU acceptance rate |
| UCF | About 33% | |
| University of Tampa | About 40% | University of Tampa tuition |
| FAU | 66.12% | FAU acceptance rate |
Flagged for review. The 33% figure is derived from UCF's own published counts for 2025-26. Confirm the current cycle before relying on it, since the trend is moving.
What 70,674 Students Means for Housing
This is the part that matters more at UCF than at any other Florida university, and almost no admissions page mentions it.
UCF enrolls 70,674 students in total. It admits 17,027 first-years each cycle and enrols 4,699 of them. The university's own housing stock serves a small fraction of that population. The overwhelming majority of UCF students live off campus, in a single submarket east of Orlando.
Two consequences worth planning around:
Demand is concentrated and predictable. Every year the same large cohort looks for the same housing on the same timetable. The good purpose-built stock near campus goes early, and students who wait until they have made a final decision are choosing from what is left.
Start looking while you are shortlisting, not after you commit. This is standard advice everywhere and it carries more weight at a university of this size. Browse student accommodation near UCF and the wider Orlando market.
Orlando Rent, and the One Direction It Moved
Orlando is mid-range for Florida, and it is one of only two cities in our comparison where rent actually fell this year.
| Unit | Orlando | Per bedroom |
| Studio | $1,417 | $1,417 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,614 | $1,614 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,970 | $985 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,381 | $794 |
Average rent is $1,828, down about 0.67% from $1,840 a year earlier. Against Florida's other student cities:
| City | Per bedroom, 3 bed |
| Tallahassee | $639 |
| Gainesville | $663 |
| Orlando | $794 |
| Tampa | $885 |
| Miami | $1,247 |
| Boca Raton | $1,390 |
Orlando sits third cheapest. A room in a three-bedroom share at $794 is $9,528 over a twelve-month lease, against $16,680 for the same arrangement in Boca Raton.
Note the gap between a studio at $1,417 and a room in a three-bed at $794. That is $623 a month, or $7,476 a year, which at UCF's in-state tuition of $6,368 is more than a full year of tuition. In Florida the sharing decision routinely outweighs the tuition decision, a pattern the colleges in Florida guide sets out across the whole state.
Flagged for review. These are August 2026 market averages across all housing, not student-specific rates.
Out-of-State at UCF
UCF charges non-residents $24,076 against $6,368 in-state, a gap of $17,708.
That is a substantial premium, but it is worth seeing in national context. Penn State charges out-of-state students $44,574, nearly double UCF's rate, as our Penn State tuition guide sets out. Florida's out-of-state rates undercut many states' in-state rates.
Combine $24,076 with Orlando rent at $794 per bedroom and UCF becomes a serious option for out-of-state students who have only compared sticker tuition. Run the total, not the tuition line.
Practical Notes for UCF Students
- Twelve-month leases against a nine-month year. Standard in Orlando. Read what subletting means before signing.
- Hurricane season overlaps move-in. Ask about evacuation policy and whether renters insurance is required.
- Check the commute honestly. UCF's main campus is east of central Orlando. A cheaper room further out can cost you more in time than it saves in rent.
Take our apartment tour checklist to viewings. UCF guarantees housing for first years, and our comparison of college dorms versus off-campus housing covers the second-year decision, with how to book on-campus housing at US universities on the process. International students should read renting without a credit history in the USA and co-signing student leases in the USA early.
Who UCF Suits
A strong fit if you want a large public research university with the programme breadth that 70,674 students supports, you are a Florida resident where $6,368 may be covered by Bright Futures, or you are out of state and have compared UCF's $24,076 against your own state's rates honestly.
Think carefully if you wanted a small campus, or if you are treating UCF as your safety. At 33% and tightening it is a target school now, not a fallback.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the UCF acceptance rate?
About 33%. The University of Central Florida admitted 17,027 students from 51,692 first-time-in-college applications and enrolled 4,699.
Is UCF hard to get into?
Harder than it used to be. UCF's rate was reported at 39.5% in 2023 and is now about 33%, making it the third most selective university in Florida behind UF and Florida State.
How many students go to UCF?
70,674 across all levels, making UCF the largest university in Florida by enrollment and one of the largest in the United States.
How much is UCF tuition?
In-state tuition and fees are $6,368 a year and out-of-state are $24,076.
What is UCF's yield rate?
About 28%. UCF admitted 17,027 students and enrolled 4,699, so roughly seven in ten admitted students chose elsewhere.
How much is rent near UCF?
Orlando averages $1,828 a month, down slightly on the year. A three-bedroom works out at about $794 per person, third cheapest of Florida's major student cities.
Is UCF a safety school?
Not any more. At about 33% it is more selective than the University of Tampa and far more selective than FAU at 66.12%. Any list with UCF as the fallback needs something less selective beneath it.
Do most UCF students live on campus?
No. With 70,674 students enrolled, university housing serves a small share of the population and the majority live off campus in the Orlando market east of the city.
Wassup
Instagram??
The Bottom Line
The UCF acceptance rate of about 33% describes a university that has changed faster than its reputation. It is the largest institution in Florida and the third most selective, and applicants working from older advice consistently misplace it on their lists.
On cost, UCF sits where most Florida publics do: $6,368 in-state, potentially covered by Bright Futures, with the real variable being Orlando rent at $794 per bedroom in a three-bed share. That is $623 a month less than renting a studio, which is more than a full year of tuition. At a university this size, getting the housing decision right early is the part that actually costs money.