Here you will find a portrait built with official data from the United States government: who this university is, how much it costs, who gets in, who stays, and who finishes. It is not everything you need to decide. It is the first solid piece of a larger plan, the part that falls to you as a mother, father, or responsible adult: understanding the ground before your child takes the next step.
Who Stetson University Is
Stetson is a private, nonprofit university offering four years or more of study. The federal system classifies it as a master's institution with large programs and reports that the doctorate is the highest degree it offers. That is an institutional fact: it does not mean your child's major has a path through a doctorate there. If that matters in their plan, ask by program.
It is a very residential school. In the most recent classification available, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. That tells you something real about life there, but it does not tell you the price of a room. Room and board are charged separately, and you need to request them separately before comparing this school with any other.
Stetson is in DeLand, Florida, within Volusia County, in the Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is right in the center of that city, and the map does not tell you what the trip is really like. If your child plans to live at home, do not rely on the route the GPS shows: drive it yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of their classes. The real travel time is almost never what the map promises.
And one clarification worth making directly: Stetson does not have any of three specific government designations—it is not a historically Black college or university, not a tribal college or university, and not a land-grant institution. That says nothing about which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what student organizations and cultural centers exist today, and speak with someone who is already studying there.
A Mid-Sized Community, With a Real Latino Presence
Stetson had 3,669 students enrolled in the official fall count, a medium size compared with other similar selective private four-year universities. But that number includes graduate students: 2,338 are undergraduates and 1,331 are graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor's program, the number that matters is 2,338, not the total.
Here is a fact many Latino families want to know from the start: 19 out of every 100 undergraduate students reported themselves as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023. Compared with similar selective private universities, that places it in the highest quarter of the group. They are not a majority, but neither are they unusual. Still, that comparison does not account for the fact that Stetson is in Florida, a state with a large Hispanic population, so it should be understood with that qualification.
Other features of the community: there are more women than men—57 out of every 100 are women—there are almost no adult students—only 3 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old—and a little more than half of new students, 66 out of every 100, came from Florida. It is a school with more out-of-state presence than the typical public university, but it is still mostly Floridian.
How It Works Academically
The year at Stetson is organized by semesters: two terms of about 15 weeks each. It accepts credit for AP exams, but it does not award credit for life experience and does not enroll high school students in college credit courses. Saying they accept AP does not mean they automatically grant credit for every exam: request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not count on those savings until you have it in hand.
Its degree offerings are broad and spread out. In the most recent year reported, Stetson awarded 728 bachelor's degrees across 18 major families. The largest, business and administration, accounts for 28 out of every 100 degrees—it is the strongest area, but it does not dominate. Compared with similar schools, it is in the quarter that awards the most degrees each year. Eighteen families with activity are not necessarily eighteen complete majors: verify the exact program that interests your child.
The ratio of students to instructional staff, measured in full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1—a low ratio, below half of its peers. It is an aggregate number for the entire school: it does not tell you the actual size of your child's first-year class. Ask the department directly.
Stetson also reports structured paths worth exploring with your child: study abroad, undergraduate research alongside a professor, a complete program that can be taken at night or on weekends, and teacher certification pathways, including state approval for initial certification. The institution's reporting confirms they exist as a structure; it does not say whether they fit the major your child wants.
Getting In Is Likely. Staying to Study There, Not So Much
Here is one of the most important truths in this article, and it is worth saying plainly.
Stetson does not have open admission: it reviews specific pieces before saying yes. Of the nine considerations the government asks about, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, grade point average, completion of the required course plan, and the English-language proficiency exam for applicants. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask today whether that exam applies to them and what exempts them—it is one of the things people find out late and should not.
Other pieces are not required but are considered if you submit them: class rank, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or work sample, and work experience. To top it off, the application has no cost: the published fee is $0.
And here is the figure that surprises most families: out of every 100 people who applied in 2023, Stetson admitted 86. It is one of the universities that does say yes. Compared with other selective private universities, it is on the high-acceptance side.
But there is a second figure, almost opposite in spirit, that matters just as much or more:
Out of every 100 admitted students, only 9 ended up enrolling.
Put another way: out of every 11 young people who receive Stetson's yes, about one decides to attend. The other ten already had a place there and did not take it. And I want to be clear with you here, because it is easy to misunderstand this number: the fact that most admitted students did not enroll says nothing about the quality of the school. The federal record does not explain why each person made the decision they made. They may have chosen another option, the price may not have worked for them, or their plan may have changed. What this figure does tell you is something useful: the fact that other families did not stay does not tell you anything about what they will offer you. Wait for your own letter with the net price—what the year will actually cost you—and use that number in hand to decide whether this school stays on your list.
On standardized tests: Stetson is test optional. The SAT and ACT are not required; if you submit them, they consider them, and if you do not submit them, the application remains equally valid. Of the students who enrolled, only 24 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 560 and 660 in reading and writing, and between 530 and 630 in mathematics. That range is not a minimum for admission or a guarantee of anything: it is simply what was reported by those who chose to send scores.
On transfers: in the fall of 2023, 105 undergraduate students arrived at Stetson for the first time after studying at another university. That places it in the upper half compared with similar schools in arrival volume. What the report does not say—because the school did not report it—is how many credits those students received or the rate of students who leave Stetson for somewhere else. Ask the admissions office directly.
The List Price: Almost $75,000 Per Year
Here comes the number that carries the most weight in any family conversation.
For the 2023–24 academic year, Stetson reported a total cost of attendance of $74,149 for a full-time, first-time undergraduate student living on campus. This price is the same whether your child is from Florida or any other state—because Stetson is private, it does not have a different rate for “out-of-state” students.
Broken down:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $55,220 |
| On-campus room and board | $16,030 |
| Books and supplies | $1,200 |
| Other estimated expenses | (part of the total) |
Compared with similar private schools, this cost of attendance is among the highest in the group. And I want to pause here, because this is the point where the most families get scared and where they most often react the wrong way: this number is the list price, not your family's bill. It is what is used to calculate aid, not what you will necessarily pay. Complete the FAFSA. Request the aid letter in writing. Until you have it in hand, you do not know how much this school costs for your family.
The Real Price: What Families Actually Pay
At Stetson University, among 161 full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,596. Among 77 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $19,475; among 82 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $32,728. For dependent students, the band adds their parents' income and their own.
Between the average for the lower-income band (161 students) and that of the higher-income band (82 students), there is a difference of $15,132. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $22,914.
$17,596 was the average net price for lower-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you know whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, placing yours correctly comes first. The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when it appears, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that matters is the aid letter you receive.
Almost Everyone Receives Something, but “Something” Is Not the Same for Everyone
At Stetson, 98 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who receive it, the average is $42,061 per year. It is a large figure, but it is not a price: that average includes people who received much more and people who received much less. In addition, 36 out of every 100 students receive a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families.
None of this is your offer. A high average among those who received aid does not guarantee yours will be that large. When your letter arrives, what you need to look at is how much your family would have to pay out of its own pocket—and that is the number to compare among universities, not the size of the discount they advertise.
Debt: The Other Half of the Story
Here it is necessary to say something with complete clarity, without softening it.
In the 2022-23 academic year, 48 out of every 100 Stetson undergraduate students received a federal student loan. It is almost half. Of those who borrowed, each received $6,354 on average that year. If your child borrowed something similar each year during the four years a degree takes, the total would be close to $25,416—not counting interest, and not counting what parents sometimes borrow separately through PLUS loans, which are a completely separate category and are not included in this figure.
Financing with debt is common here, not the exception. Compared with similar schools, Stetson sits in the middle: neither among those with the most students receiving loans nor among those with the fewest. This percentage describes other families, not yours. What your child would have to borrow comes from their own aid letter. Do the full calculation before the first signature, not at the end of the process.
Stetson also offers an installment tuition payment plan and participates in a Promise program, two mechanisms worth asking about by their exact names before dismissing them or taking them for granted.
Campus Life, Support, and Some Loose Pieces That Matter
Stetson has its own housing and meal plans, although no student is generally required to live there. The reported maximum institutional housing capacity is 1,942 students. Having rooms does not guarantee a bed will be available for your child: request in writing the year's rate, the housing application deadline, and whether a spot is guaranteed or you are placed on a waiting list.
It offers ROTC in two branches: Army and Air Force, not Navy. It competes in intercollegiate sports under the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If sports matter in your child's plan, write directly to the coach for that sport and ask about roster space, division, and whether athletic aid is available—have them answer you in writing.
On distance education: Stetson offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels and reports at least one complete program that can be taken that way. But in the fall count, fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load through distance education. If that is part of the plan, confirm it in writing for your child's specific major.
The library operates with employed staff, has physical and digital collections, and participates in interlibrary loan. The institution also reports academic and career counseling services, student employment, placement for graduates, and specific support for veterans and military members, including participation in the Yellow Ribbon program.
Do They Stay? Do They Graduate?
This is perhaps the section that most answers any parent's unspoken question: if my child starts here, will they finish?
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 for the first time, full time, and seeking a bachelor's degree, 73 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already earned a degree one year later. It is a proportion somewhat below half of similar private schools—not the worst sign, but not the best either. And there is something important this number does not clarify: it does not separate those who are still studying from those who have already graduated, and not returning to Stetson is not the same as leaving college. Someone who transferred to another school and continues studying there counts the same in this data as someone who left school altogether.
On graduation: of 863 students who started a bachelor's degree in 2017, full time and for the first time, 63 out of every 100 had earned a degree from Stetson within six years. At four years, the figure was already 57 out of every 100—only 6 points lower, a sign that a good portion of those who graduate do so within the expected time. Compared with similar universities, Stetson is above the group's median.
And at eight years, looking at a broader cohort that includes part-time students and those with prior experience: 63 out of every 100 already had a degree or certificate from Stetson. Here a difference appears that is worth naming plainly: among students with a Pell Grant, that figure falls to 56 out of every 100—eleven points below those who did not receive Pell. If your family would qualify for Pell today, this does not determine your child's outcome, but it is a question worth asking the school directly: what counseling, emergency aid, and renewal of internal scholarships exist specifically for those students. And have them answer you in writing.
What You Already Know, and What Is Still Yours to Find Out
You know it is a university that often says yes, that almost half of its students use federal loans, that the list price is frightening but is rarely what people pay, and that most finish with their degree within a reasonable time.
What this article cannot tell you is whether Stetson is the right university for your child. That depends on three things only your family can bring together: what the university actually offers—which you now know—what your child wants to study and has built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. If your child is just putting together their list, ask what they want to study and how far away they imagine living. If they are about to decide, request the aid letter before dismissing or committing to anything.
Your child is responsible for studying, exploring, and deciding their path. You are responsible for understanding the money, supporting the decision, and not letting them carry alone a system neither you nor they inherited. You do not go through this process for them. You go through it with them.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, with data corresponding mainly to the years 2022-23 and 2023-24 depending on the indicator. Best College Aid does not represent Stetson University or any government agency; this article is an independent informational resource.