Florida Gulf Coast University

FGCU is an online school that offers full degrees and individual courses through the Canvas learning management system. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reports that 42% of graduate students and 11% of undergraduate students study entirely online.

The federal data displayed on College Scorecard categorizes FGCU as a 4-year university because it offers undergraduate degree programs at the bachelor's level. FGCU's 62% graduation rate refers to students that graduated within eight years of entering their education.

FGCU is considered a good school based on its low annual tuition costs of $9,700 and its high median annual earnings for graduates of $52,300. Both of these figures are better than the midpoint for other 4-year universities, according to College Scorecard.  

The school's accreditation status should also be considered. This lets prospective students know that faculty and programs have been examined for quality by a third-party education agency. Florida Gulf Coast University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctorate degrees, and certificates. 

OnlineU only includes accredited institutions on its site.

FGCU is best known for the improvements it has made to its online services. According to the school's 2022 Strategic Plan, the school has added an online tutoring platform to decrease the number of dropped, failed, or withdrawn courses; moved financial aid and scholarship services online; and started the Eagle Mentor Program, an online career development platform for alumni.

According to College Scorecard, the highest earning degree at FGCU is the online Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences, where graduates can earn a median annual salary of $49,100. The other two online bachelor's degrees have slightly lower estimated earnings. The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice can earn alumni a median annual salary of $46,500, while the online Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies can bring in $44,600.

Students can also use OnlineU's Salary Score to determine salary outcomes. This metric compares alumni salaries from different schools using the same degree. On a scale of 1 to 100, FGCU scores a 42 at the bachelor's level and a 68 at the master's level. 

It's not considered difficult to get into FGCU. This is primarily based on the school's high acceptance rate. College Scorecard shows that 89% of applicants are accepted for enrollment. 

There is no overall GPA requirement at FGCU. According to the school's own internal data, first-year students applying to college at FGCU have an average GPA of 4.0. This information is  meant to help students pick a college they are qualified to attend. 

Students must complete the following steps in order to apply to college at FGCU for an online undergraduate degree:

• Fill out the Florida Gulf Coast University online application. Alternatively, students can also apply through the Common App. 
• Pay the nonrefundable $30 application fee.  
• Submit official high school transcripts or GED.
• Submit college entrance exam scores.