First, applications are reviewed against the state minimums for admissions. If the application meets those minimum requirements, the application is then reviewed against UF’s admissions standards, which vary based on the type of applicant, listed below.
Freshman ApplicantsIf you have 0-11 transferable college credits, your application will undergo a holistic review. Your high school record, college transcripts (if applicable), extracurricular activities, unique contributions, and admissions essay are reviewed. If you graduated high school within the last 5 years, standardized test scores are also collected with your application.
Since your high school record constitutes the majority of your academic work to date, your academic performance in high school weighs heavily into your admissions decision.
The state minimum requirements for Freshmen applicants can be found here; however, UF’s standards for admissions are significantly higher than the state minimums. Applicants who are admitted typically have at least (and usually higher than) a 3.7 High School GPA.
Recommended next steps: If denied at this level, we would recommend earning at least 30 transferable credits at a local state college or university. This coursework should include some competitive admissions courses for your intended UF Online major, as well as college level Math and English courses.
Lower Division (12-59 transferable credits): If you have 12-59 transferable college credits, your application will undergo a holistic review. As with freshmen applicants, your high school record, college transcripts, extracurricular activities, unique contributions, and admissions essay are reviewed. If you graduated high school within the last 5 years, standardized test scores are also collected with your application.
The state minimum requirements for Lower Division applicants can be found here, however, UF’s standards for admissions are significantly higher than the state minimums. Generally, we are looking for applicants with over a 3.0 High School GPA and over a 3.0 College GPA. The more college credits an applicant has earned, the less heavily the high school coursework weighs in the decision-making process. Additionally, the closer an applicant is to being an Upper Division transfer (60 credit hours), the higher the expectation that the applicant would have more of their intended major’s upper division competitive admission criteria met at the time of admission.
Recommended next steps: If denied at this level, we would recommend earning at least 60 transferable credits and meeting all of the competitive admissions criteria for your intended major before reapplying. To ensure that all UF general education requirements are completed and to take advantage of articulated transfer pathways, Florida residents are strongly encouraged to complete their Associates of Arts Degree at a Florida state college prior to reapplying. Admission processes and degree programs at each institution are found on the individual college’s webpage. For your convenience, the following Florida Department of Education website provides links to all the institutions included in the Florida College System: https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-system/about-us/colleges.stml.
Upper Division (60+ transferable credits): Unlike freshman or lower division applications, your high school record and test scores are not required to determine your eligibility for admissions. Your college coursework is used to determine your eligibility for admissions as an upper division applicant. Below are the state minimums and UF standards for Upper Division transfer admissions:
State Minimums
- A cumulative 2.0 GPA in all college coursework
- A 2.0 GPA or higher from the last institution attended
UF Standards
In addition to meeting the state minimums, applicants must also meet the competitive admissions criteria listed for their intended major. Each major has:- A minimum overall GPA requirement
- A list of Competitive Admission coursework
- A minimum prerequisite GPA
Recommended next steps: If denied at this level, please review the competitive admissions criteria listed for your intended major.
- If you are missing prerequisites courses, you will need to complete the missing courses before reapplying.
- If you have completed all of your prerequisite coursework, but did not meet both of the GPA requirements, you may need to take some additional courses or retake a course to earn a higher grade before reapplying. Please note that for most majors, all prior attempts at a competitive admissions coursework are factored into this GPA calculation.
- If you have received an AA degree from a Florida College System institution, please consider applying to one or more of the other 11 institutions that comprise Florida’s State University System if you have not already done so. Admissions processes and degree programs at each institution are found on the individual university’s websites. For your convenience, the following State University System of Florida website provides links to the undergraduate admission websites for each institution: https://www.flbog.edu/universities/admissions-transfers/undergraduate-admissions/.
Post-baccalaureate (Already have a Bachelor’s Degree): This category falls under the same review process as Upper Division students. Please see above.
Readmissions (Previously attended the University of Florida): All readmissions applicants go through an extensive hands-on review process directly by the College to which the applicant is applying. Due to the unique circumstances of each student, the readmissions process can look very different from one student to the next.
Recommended next steps: If denied at this level, please refer to your decision letter available on your application status page. If your College provided specific admissions requirements, you should satisfy these requirements prior to reapplying.
The University of Florida conducts its own GPA calculations of your academic records. Each school transcript is reviewed individually for applicable transferrable work, which is why we require all transcripts be submitted with your application. How we calculate a GPA is detailed below:
High School GPA: Your coursework in English, Math, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Foreign Language are utilized for your GPA calculation. All other non-academic coursework is excluded.
Note: Applicants utilizing a high school equivalency examination (GED, etc) are exempt from this GPA calculation and their applications are reviewed holistically.
Overall College GPA: Each transcript is reviewed individually and your grades are combined into one overall GPA. Coursework classified as vocational or from unaccredited institutions are excluded from this calculation. You must have at least a 2.0 overall college GPA and at least a 2.0 GPA at your last institution to be eligible for admission. Upper division applicants should know that each major has a specified minimum overall GPA, which can be located in the competitive admissions criteria section on each major’s webpage
Competitive Admissions College GPA (Upper division applicants only): Your competitive admissions GPA is calculated by averaging your grades across the prerequisites listed for your major. Most programs include every attempt at a competitive admissions course, regardless of possible grade forgiveness. Each major has a minimum overall GPA requirement and a minimum prerequisite GPA specified for admissions, which you can locate on your major’s webpage.
If your prior academic record was negatively impacted by serious extenuating circumstances that can be documented, consider the possibility of retroactively dropping and/or withdrawing from the issuing institution. If the issuing institution grants the retroactive drop/withdrawal, you could reapply for a future term using the updated transcript.
