Pensacola, Florida · Public university
Tuition, acceptance rate, scholarships with conservative numbers and the admission process step by step — in dollars and Brazilian reais — updated 2026-09-15. Este guia em português →
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Profile
The figures below come from the US Department of Education's public databases and from University of West Florida's own Common Data Set. They let you gauge the size of the institution, the real level of competition and the odds of finishing on time.
Admission
University of West Florida admits 58% of applicants, according to College Navigator, the US Department of Education's public database.
The middle half of admitted students scored between 970 and 1160 on the SAT and between 19 and 25 on the ACT. The average high-school GPA of admitted students is 3.65; the published minimum for international applicants is 2.8.
In practice, for a Brazilian applicant: a converted transcript near the average GPA and an SAT inside the range put you in the typical admitted group. Below that, admission is still possible, but merit aid gets harder.
Costs
Tuition at University of West Florida for international students is $16,968 a year. With housing, meals and health insurance the estimated total is $31,630 — about R$ 163,211 at R$ 5.16 to the dollar (2026-08-15), verified on 2026-09-15.
| Item | Annual estimate (USD) | Approx. in R$ |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition (out of state) | $16,968 | R$ 87,555 |
| Housing and meals | $12,986 | R$ 67,008 |
| Health insurance | $1,676 | R$ 8,648 |
| Estimated total | $31,630 | R$ 163,211 |
Estimates for 2026–2027, verified on 2026-09-15. Converted at R$ 5.16 to the dollar (2026-08-15). Books, transport and course fees vary.
Scholarships
| Scholarship | Amount per year | Criteria | Renewable | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admissions Academic Merit Scholarship - Out of State, Tier 1 (Academic Excellence) | $8,000 | Out-of-state first-year applicants with a 4.00+ weighted GPA and SAT 1400+, ACT 31+ or CLT 101+; $8,000 per year ($32,000 over 4 years); complete application file by Dec. 1. | Yes | Dec. 1, 2026 priority deadline (Summer/Fall 2027 entry) |
| Admissions Academic Merit Scholarship - Out of State, Tier 2 (Nautilus) | $6,000 | Out-of-state freshmen with a 3.80-3.99 weighted GPA and SAT 1260-1390, ACT 27-30 or CLT 89-100; $6,000 per year ($24,000 over 4 years). | Yes | Dec. 1, 2026 priority deadline |
| Admissions Academic Merit Scholarship - Out of State, Tier 3 (Argonaut) | $2,000 | Out-of-state freshmen with a 3.70-3.79 weighted GPA and SAT 1160-1250, ACT 24-26 or CLT 79-88; $2,000 per year ($8,000 over 4 years). | Yes | Dec. 1, 2026 priority deadline |
| National Merit Finalist Scholarship | $50,000 | National Merit Finalists (a U.S. PSAT-based program): full tuition and mandatory fees, meal plan, on-campus housing, $800 per-semester book stipend and a one-time research or study-abroad experience up to $1,500; 'Value: $50,000+'. | Yes | Dec. 1, 2026 (complete file) |
Merit scholarships: students have received between 0% and 25% of tuition (conservative estimate, 2026–2027; verified on 2026-09-15). Typical conditions: Automatic merit awards of $2,000 to $8,000 per year in the out-of-state tier (3.70+ GPA and 1160+ SAT); UWF does not state whether F-1 students qualify. The real amount depends on your profile — we never promise percentages.
Our rule is simple: we would rather you plan with conservative numbers and be surprised for the better — never the other way round. Studying in the United States is not free for anyone.
International aid
Only awards the university itself describes are listed, with the requirements it publishes. Where the official page does not say whether international students may apply, the table says "not stated" — ask before counting on the money.
Amount per year: $8,000/yr ($32,000 over 4 years) with 4.00+ GPA and SAT 1400+ or ACT 31+ or CLT 101+; $6,000/yr ($24,000) with 3.80-3.99 GPA and SAT 1260-1390 or ACT 27-30 or CLT 89-100; $2,000/yr ($8,000) with 3.70-3.79 GPA and SAT 1160-1250 or ACT 24-26 or CLT 79-88
Requirements: First-time-in-college student starting summer or fall; cumulative weighted high-school GPA plus SAT/ACT/CLT in the bands above; 'certain subject-area scores are required' (unspecified); complete application file (application, STARS record, ACT/SAT/CLT scores and subscores) by Dec. 1, 2026 for Summer/Fall 2027; meet all admission requirements. The Out-of-State column applies to anyone who is not a Florida/Alabama resident for tuition purposes ('Residency status is based on residency for tuition purposes').
International: Not stated
Renewal: 3.00 cumulative UWF GPA (or higher if stated in the award notice); continuous full-time enrollment (12+ credits, fall and spring) in good academic standing; 24 credits per academic year; 8 consecutive fall/spring semesters or until degree completion; excludes summer terms; once lost for grades it is not reinstated.
Deadline: Dec. 1, 2026 (Scholarship Priority Consideration Deadline for Summer/Fall 2027); awards notified in December.
How to apply: Automatic with a completed admission application; no separate form. Only one admissions merit/full-ride scholarship per student; cannot be combined with another admissions scholarship, but it is applied first to direct costs and may be stacked with private scholarships.
Amount per year: Full tuition and mandatory fees + on-campus housing + meal plan + $800 per-semester textbook stipend + a one-time paid research or study-abroad experience valued at up to $1,500 (UWF values the package at '$50,000+')
Requirements: Be a National Merit Finalist (NMSC program based on the PSAT/NMSQT taken at a U.S. school — normally out of reach for students schooled in Brazil); be admitted and start at UWF in the first semester of college; send a copy of the Finalist letter to Associate Director Monique Cossich.
International: Not stated
Renewal: Same general freshman renewal rule: 3.00 UWF GPA, 12+ credits per semester, 24 credits/yr, 8 consecutive semesters.
Deadline: No priority deadline; send the Finalist letter after admission.
How to apply: Email the National Merit Finalist letter to mcossich1@uwf.edu.
Amount per year: Amounts vary; not published per award on the admissions page
Requirements: Admitted for Summer/Fall; portal access (uwf.academicworks.com) is granted only after new-student orientation registration and the Argonet account upgrade; each award has its own donor criteria. The Financial Aid FAQ lists the portal as one of the options for international students.
International: Not stated
Renewal: Award-specific; UWF's general rule: 3.00 GPA and 24 credits/yr if renewable.
Deadline: June 1, 2027 (Summer/Fall entrants only).
How to apply: Application in the UWF Scholarship Portal (AcademicWorks) inside MyUWF, after admission.
Amount per year: Varies by program; relevant to Brazilians: Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund (OAS interest-free loan, Latin America/Caribbean), OAS scholarships (Latin America/Caribbean), BMI Student Composer Awards (Western Hemisphere, music), Microsoft Scholarships (any country, undergraduate)
Requirements: Each program has its own criteria; the sheet (55 rows) carries stale deadlines (e.g. 'October 30th, 2024') and third-party links — verify at the source before publishing.
International: Yes
Renewal: Program-specific.
Deadline: Program-specific.
How to apply: Directly with each external organization.
No. UWF's Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships awards nothing to students on a student visa: eligibility requires U.S. citizenship or FAFSA eligible-noncitizen status, and the Argo 30 Guarantee is restricted to Florida residents. International students are pointed to the Office of Global Engagement, their academic department and the Foundation scholarships.
Scores
| Requirement | Reference |
|---|---|
| SAT (25th–75th percentile) | 970 – 1160 |
| ACT (25th–75th percentile) | 19 – 25 |
| Average GPA of admitted students | 3.65 |
| Minimum GPA | 2.8 |
| Minimum TOEFL (1–6 band scale, in force since 21 January 2026) | 4.5 · tests taken before 21 January 2026: 79 |
| Minimum IELTS | 6.0 |
| Minimum Duolingo | 110 |
| Minimum PTE | 53 |
| SAT/ACT policy | SAT or ACT required |
The ENEM plays no part in the review. The university converts your secondary-school grades onto the American 0 to 4 scale, and that number is what appears as your GPA. Averages between 7 and 8 usually land near 3.0; above 9, near 4.0. The conversion is done either by the university itself or by a credential evaluation service, and the transcript has to be translated by a sworn translator.
University of West Florida's merit scholarship is not a single figure. It is a range, $2,000 to $8,000 per year. Where you land inside it depends on your transcript, the rigour of the courses you took and your SAT or ACT score when you choose to submit one.
The distance between floor and ceiling is $6,000 per year. Over a four-year degree, $24,000, or about R$ 123,840. That is the size of the difference a better score can make, and it is why the test is worth sitting even when it is optional.
The university superscores: it takes your best score in each section across every test date you submit. Retaking the test, in practice, can only help.
Tests
U.S. News publishes the range covering the middle half of admitted students, not an average. Use the range as a gauge of competitiveness (2024 data).
| Item | Reference |
|---|---|
| SAT (25th–75th percentile) | 1020 – 1230 |
| ACT (25th–75th percentile) | 20 – 27 |
| Average high-school GPA | 3.6 |
| Acceptance rate |
Source: U.S. News & World Report
| Test | Minimum score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 79 (exam taken before Jan. 21, 2026) / 4.5 (exam taken on or after Jan. 21, 2026, new 1-6 scale) | UWF already publishes the new TOEFL 1-6 scale. No section minimums. Paper TOEFL and TOEFL Essentials appear on none of the pages checked. UWF ETS code: 5833. Caution: the requirements page says that for applicants with fewer than 60 college credits (freshmen) proficiency 'is met by ACT or SAT test score admissions requirements' — see test_policy.english_waiver and gaps. |
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.0 | Listed as 'International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.0'. No per-band minimum. The page does not distinguish Academic/General. |
| Duolingo English Test | 110 | Listed as 'Duolingo English Test (DET): 110'. No subscore minimum. |
| PTE Academic | 53 | Listed as 'Pearson Test of English (PTE): 53'. |
| Cambridge English (B2 First / C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency) | 175 on the Cambridge English Scale | Listed only as 'Cambridge English Language Assessment (CELA): 175'; UWF does not name B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency — any of them works as long as the statement shows 175+ on the Cambridge scale. |
| CEFR (level certificate) | B2 | Listed as 'Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): B2'. The page does not say which certificate/issuer counts as proof of B2. |
| Oxford Online Placement Test | B2 | Listed as 'Oxford Online Placement Test: B2'. |
| SAT Reading and Writing (English-test waiver) | 490 | Catalog: 'SAT: Reading and Writing 490+' satisfies the English requirement. It is also the state admission minimum for the RW section, so a freshman admitted on the SAT already meets proficiency. |
| ACT English + Reading (English-test waiver) | English 17 and Reading 19 | Catalog: 'ACT: English: 17+ and Reading: 19+' — both sections are required (same state admission minimums). |
| CLT Verbal Reasoning + Grammar/Writing (English-test waiver) | 38 (sum) | Catalog: 'CLT: Verbal Reasoning and Grammar/Writing: 38+'. |
| TOEFL Essentials | not listed | Not on the 2026-2027 catalog, the international requirements page or Regulation 3.042. |
| iTEP | not listed | Not on any page checked. |
| ELS (level 112) | not listed | Not on any page checked. The only English-program pathway accepted is UWF's own Intensive English Program (IEP) with a recommendation letter from the IEP administrator. |
| English-medium high-school waiver | not listed | Published exemptions are: (1) being from a country where English is the official language (list on a Confluence page that requires a UWF login); (2) a prior associate/bachelor/master/doctoral degree from an institution accredited by a U.S. DoE-recognized agency; (3) a bachelor's or higher from an English-official country or an English-medium university. No exemption for an English-medium high school. |
Cambridge English (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency) appears in the table when the university accepts it. If it is absent, the official page does not list it — do not send a Cambridge certificate in place of the TOEFL without confirming with admissions.
SAT, ACT or CLT is required for every first-year applicant, international included: state minimums are SAT Reading & Writing 490 and Math 480; ACT Reading 19, Math 19, English 17. UWF superscores. The same section scores (SAT 490, ACT 17+19, CLT 38) also satisfy English proficiency, so a student admitted on the SAT needs no TOEFL.
Is your score below 4.5 (1–6 scale) on the TOEFL or 110 on the Duolingo test? That does not end the plan — our live prep courses with a teacher exist to close exactly that gap.
Majors
There are 64 majors, grouped by the school that offers them, each with the degree code the application form uses. Search by name, or filter by school or STEM.
The 17 majors marked STEM qualify for an extra 24 months of work authorisation on top of OPT — up to 36 months working in the United States after graduation. If you plan to stay, that designation matters more than the name of the degree.
64 majors
No major matches that name. Try a broader word, or the degree code.
Graduate
Close to 6.1% of University of West Florida's graduate students come from outside the United States. It is a far more international room than the undergraduate one, and that changes the experience: almost everyone beside you also arrived recently.
There are 23 programs open to international students, 8 of them STEM-designated.
| Program | STEM | GRE or GMAT required | Intake |
|---|---|---|---|
| College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities7 | |||
| Anthropology, M.A. (Anthropology / Historical Archaeology) | No | FSpSu | |
| Criminal Justice, M.S. | No | FSpSu | |
| English, M.A. (Creative Writing / Literature) | No | FSpSu | |
| History, M.A. | No | FSpSu | |
| International Affairs, M.A. | No | FSpSu | |
| Political Science, M.A. | No | FSpSu | |
| Strategic Communication and Leadership, M.A. | No | FSpSu | |
| Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering8 | |||
| Biology, M.S. (Thesis / Non-Thesis) | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Computer Science, M.S. (James E. Miller) | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Cybersecurity, M.S. | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Data Science, M.S. (Analytics and Modeling / Analytics of Business Decisions / Health Analytics) | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Engineering, M.S. | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Environmental Science, M.S. (Thesis / Non-Thesis) | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Information Technology, M.S. | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Mathematical Sciences, M.S. | STEM | No | FSpSu |
| Lewis Bear Jr. College of Business2 | |||
| Accountancy, M.Acc. (Analytics / Business Analysis and Reporting / Information Systems and Controls / Taxation) | No | FSpSu | |
| Business Administration, M.B.A. (General plus 10 specializations) | No | FSpSu | |
| Usha Kundu, MD College of Health6 | |||
| Athletic Training, M.S. (Andrews Institute and Baptist Health Care) | No | FSpSu | |
| Movement Sciences and Health, M.S. - Exercise Science | No | FSpSu | |
| Nursing, M.S.N. - Entry Into Practice (Direct Entry) | No | FSpSu | |
| Psychology, M.A. - Counseling Psychology (Licensed Mental Health Counselor) | No | FSpSu | |
| Psychology, M.A. - Industrial-Organizational Psychology | No | FSpSu | |
| Social Work, M.S.W. (Traditional 60 credits / Advanced Standing 30 credits) | — | FSpSu | |
No program matches those filters. Clear one of them.
The STEM designation matters more at master's level than at undergraduate. It allows a request for 24 extra months of OPT on top of the initial 12, which means up to three years working in the United States off a one- or two-year degree.
| Requirement | Reference |
|---|---|
| Minimum TOEFL (1–6 band scale, in force since 21 January 2026) | 4.5 · tests taken before 21 January 2026: 79 |
| Minimum IELTS | 6.0 |
| Minimum Duolingo | 110 |
| Application fee | $30 |
| Deposit after admission | $200 |
| Minimum full-time load | 6 credit hours per semester |
22 of the programs above waive the GRE and GMAT. The rest require the test, and a waiver is only considered for applicants holding a business degree from an AACSB-accredited institution. Work experience does not count towards a waiver.
Beyond a transcript from every institution you attended, with certified translation, the application asks for a personal statement in English, a professional resume and two reference forms from people who can speak to your academic and professional background. A course-by-course credential evaluation is strongly recommended.
| Intake | Application complete by |
|---|---|
| Fall intake | May 1, 2027 |
| Spring intake | October 1, 2026 |
Deadlines
| Intake | Application deadline | Scholarship deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Fall intake | April 1, 2027 | December 1, 2026 (priority) |
| Spring intake | November 1, 2026 |
Documents
The order below is the order in which University of West Florida asks for each item. Start with the first two: they depend on third parties and they are what stalls the process.
Campus
There is no requirement to live on campus in the first year, which opens up sharing an apartment off campus — usually cheaper, with transport left to solve.
City
| Item | Reference |
|---|---|
| One-bedroom rent off campus | $1,250 / month |
| Public transport | ECAT (Escambia County Area Transit) buses: Route 43 serves the Pensacola campus with stops at Village West, the Science & Engineering building (Bldg. 4) and WUWF (Bldg. 88). Fare $1.75 ($1.25 for students with ID), 30-day pass $47; registered UWF students pick up one free 10-ride pass per week at Parking Services (Bldg. 20W, Room 151). A free trolley loops the campus. A car is still the norm. |
| Nearest airport | Pensacola International Airport (PNS), about 15 km (23 min by car) from campus: 3.1 million passengers in fiscal 2025 (a record, after 3,030,411 in 2024); American, Delta, United, Southwest, Frontier, Breeze and Contour fly nonstop to around 20 domestic destinations only, so Brazil is reached via the airlines' hubs. A $152 million terminal expansion has been under construction since October 2025. |
| Distance to Orlando | 719 km |
| Distance to Miami | 1,078 km |
| Climate | Humid subtropical (Köppen Cfa), with cooler winters than South Florida: average annual high 77 F (25 C) and low 59 F (15 C); January 60/42 F, July 90/74 F; about 65 inches (1,660 mm) of rain a year, mostly in summer; hurricane season June to November. |
F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours per week (all campus jobs combined) during fall and spring and more than 20 hours during the summer break; before starting they must complete F-1 check-in with the Office of Global Engagement, hold an updated I-20 and obtain a Social Security Number.
Careers
The median salary of graduates from this university is $49,137 a year, according to the College Scorecard, a US government public database.
On an F-1 visa you can work up to 20 hours a week on campus during term, and full time during breaks.
CPT allows an off-campus internship when it forms part of your program's curriculum, with university authorisation.
OPT gives 12 months of work authorisation in your field after graduation.
STEM-designated programs allow a request for a 24-month extension of OPT — up to 36 months of authorised work in total after graduation.
Immigration rules change — verified on 2026-09-15. Confirm with the university's international student office before making any decision based on this page.
Compare
The universities below are the closest to this one in total cost. Compare before deciding: the tuition gap between two of them is usually larger than any merit scholarship.
| University | Total cost per year | Average SAT | Minimum TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of West Florida (this page) | $31,630 | 1130 | 4.5 (1–6 scale) |
| University of South Florida | $31,524 | 1230 | |
| Florida Atlantic University | $31,824 | 1170 | 4.5 (1–6 scale) |
| Atlantis University | $30,020 | 70 |
FAQ
The estimated total — tuition, housing and health insurance — is $31,630 per year before any scholarship. Books, transport and course fees are not included. We prefer that you plan with this number and be surprised for the better.
TOEFL 4.5 (1–6 scale) or higher, or Duolingo 110 or higher. Duolingo policies change often, so we confirm the current rule before you apply. If your score is below the minimum, prep closes that gap before the deadline.
Not always for admission, but almost always for merit scholarships. The admitted average is around 1130. Without an SAT score you can be admitted and pay full price; with a competitive score, the same university can cost much less.
The ENEM plays no part. The university converts the transcript grades to the American 0–4 GPA scale from a sworn translation. Averages between 7 and 8 usually land near 3.0; above 9, near 4.0. The minimum required is 2.8.
The fall entry deadline is April 1, 2027, and spring entry is November 1, 2026. Start 10 to 12 months ahead: transcript translation, English score and proof of funds are the steps that delay applications most.
On an F-1 visa you can work up to 20 hours a week on campus during the term and full time during breaks. After graduation, OPT gives 12 months of work authorization in your field, and STEM majors can request 24 more.
University of West Florida admits 58% of applicants. The published minimum GPA for international applicants is 2.8 on the American 0–4 scale — a Brazilian transcript is converted to that scale from a sworn translation. The SAT range and average GPA of admitted students, where the university publishes them, are in the Admission section of this page. Below those marks admission is still possible; what gets harder is merit aid.
$16,968 a year at the out-of-state rate, which is what a Brazilian pays. With housing, meals and health insurance the estimated total is $31,630 — about R$ 163,211 in Brazilian reais at R$ 5.16 to the dollar. Merit scholarships reduce tuition, not the other items.
On estimated total cost per year, University of West Florida comes to $31,630 and University of South Florida to $31,524. The gap between the two is usually larger than any merit scholarship, so compare total cost before comparing scholarships.
Sources
Every block on this page carries its own verification date. Costs and admission requirements come from the Common Data Set and the official international admissions page. Enrollment, acceptance and graduation figures come from College Navigator, the US Department of Education's public database.
Converted to Brazilian reais at R$ 5.16 to the dollar on 2026-08-15. Exchange rates move; the dollar figures are the reference.
Data verified on 2026-09-15.
Sources: College Scorecard · Common Data Set · College Navigator · Official university site
Next steps
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