Stetson University

stetson university niche

First-Rate Florida Liberal Arts Education at Stetson

Stetson University appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the South.

Crowned Forbes’ 293rd best private institution, Stetson University is a nonprofit, four-year CIC member in DeLand that confers 59 bachelor’s, 12 master’s, and two doctoral programs, including seven fully online, at a 16:1 student-teacher ratio. For example, the B.B.A. in Finance builds a 120-credit, AACSB-accredited plan where undergrads complete the Roland George Investments Program, pursue CFP certification, and secure internships like Capital One. Chaired by Dr. Camille Tessitore King, the 120-credit B.S. in Psychology lets Hatters join Psi Chi, conduct Body Image Research Lab projects, intern at the Florida Autism Center, and travel abroad from Mexico to Malaysia.

Online via Blackboard Learn 9.1, the College of Law led by Dr. Kristen David Adams grants an LL.M. in Elder Law with a 30-credit, ABA-approved curriculum that blends part-time courses like Retirement Planning, a three-day Special Needs Trust Conference in DeLand, and capstone projects. Since Fall 2017, the 60-credit M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling has graduated 14 Hatters with 81 percent CPCE Exam success after 600-hour internships, such as AdventHealth, with Chi Sigma Iota membership and a Play Therapy Certificate.

Other Stetson degrees include the B.A. in Organizational Leadership, B.S. in Molecular Biology, B.S. in Digital Arts, B.A. in International Studies, B.S. in Physics, M.Jur. in Healthcare Compliance, MBA-M.S. in Pharmacy, and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership.

About Stetson University

Stetson University originated on November 5, 1883, when philanthropist Henry DeLand partnered with Dr. John Griffith to open DeLand Academy at the First Baptist Church. In 1885, President John Forbes graduated an inaugural class of 88 from the newly named DeLand College. Chartered by the Florida Legislature in 1886, it was renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 after the hat manufacturer’s sizable gift. In 1897, the School of Business Administration was launched as the Sunshine State’s first. On October 2, 1900, the College of Law followed suit. In 1908, Sampson Hall was added to its 175-acre campus for $40,000. In 1907, Stetson cut affiliation ties with the Florida Baptist Convention. By 1962, Stetson University became the state’s earliest non-HBCU to educate African Americans. Three decades later, Stetson was honored with a prized Phi Beta Kappa chapter.

Endowed for $228.7 million, Stetson University now employs 265 faculty teaching 4,357 Hatters from 45 states and 59 countries online or face-to-face at three Central Florida centers from DeLand to Gulfport with 115+ clubs like Plant Pals. In 2012, Stetson earned the Florida Campus Compact’s Most Engaged Institution Award. In 2017, Stetson accepted the FPZA Outstanding Sustainability Project Award for Marshall & Vera Lea Rinker Center. Its Hollis Center won the 1999 AIA Florida Award of Excellence in Design too. The U.S. News & World Report named Stetson the 274th best business college and 104th top law school. On Niche, Stetson boasts America’s 118th best professors, 184th top accounting degrees, and 286th best athletics. National Jurist declared Stetson University the 74th best choice. College Factual placed Stetson 185th for biochemistry, 163rd for finance, and 177th for philosophy.

Stetson University Accreditation Details

On December 12, 2011, Stetson University proudly announced that the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees reaffirmed the Level V accreditation through another 2020-21 review under its ninth president, Dr. Wendy B. Libby, who earned Orlando Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Award. Located 424 miles up Interstate 75 in Decatur, Georgia, this esteemed 11-state Gulf Coast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and Florida Department of Education (FDOE). The Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs also lists the following accreditations:

  • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
  • American Bar Association Section of Legal Education

Stetson University Application Requirements

Starting at Stetson University is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s since only 9,121 of the 13,330 Fall 2017 applicants were okayed for 68 percent acceptance. First-year Hatters must exhibit achievement in college-prep high school academics or the GED program. On average, freshmen present a 3.81 GPA, 1201 SAT, and 26 ACT mark. Transfers are test-optional with 30+ college credits graded at least C. The Graduate Admission Office generally only admits four-year bachelor’s holders with 3.0 GPAs or better. Master of Accountancy students need GMAT scores over 520 for unconditional status. Online LL.M. entrants need minimum 2.75 GPAs and passing Bar Exam scores after a Juris Doctor. Admitted College of Law post-grads present a median LSAT mark of 155. The M.S. in Counseling stipulates at least 300 GRE or 410 MAT scores. Low-Residency MFA enrollment requires five to eight samples of poetry or prose writing.

Stetson University has freshman deadlines of November 1st for Early Action I, January 15th for Early Action II, and March 1st for Regular Decision. Undergrad transfers must apply by May 1st or December 15th. Master of Laws (LL.M.) cohorts must file before August 1st. The Executive MBA has a March 31st priority and July 15th final deadline. M.S. in Counseling tracks close on July 1st each year. Master of Education entrants are welcome until August 1st or December 1st. Accordingly, complete the Stetson, Coalition, or Common Application online for $50. Forward official transcripts to 421 North Woodland Blvd. in DeLand, FL 32723. Send testing reports via SAT/GRE code 5630 or ACT code 0756. Learn about other attachments, such as references and writing samples, by contacting (386) 822-7100 or [email protected].

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Stetson University is billing full-time undergrads $23,685 per semester or $47,270 each nine-month year. Bachelor’s majors cover the $360 student life fee annually. Studying part-time incurs $4,760 per course. Summer school is cheaper at $2,122 per course. Freshmen pay the one-time $100 orientation fee. Residing at the DeLand campus’ dorms like Chaudoin Hall adds $8,470 for yearly housing. Unlimited meal plans for Commons Dining Hall are $5,726 extra. Annual undergrad attendance equals about $61,826 on-site or $47,630 if commuting. Most master’s programs and the Juris Doctor bill $1,000 per credit. Executive MBA cohorts pay $1,300 per credit. College of Arts & Sciences graduate tuition is less at $960 per credit.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Student Financial Planning Office on Rinker Center’s 2nd Floor links 99 percent of full-time Stetson Hatters with median aid of $29,580 each for $90.72 million combined. Institutional opportunities include the J. Ollie Edmunds Distinguished Scholarship, Legacy Scholarship, Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship, Community Advocate Scholarship, Global Citizen Scholarship, Dare to Achieve Scholarship, Ron & Dominique Salamone Piccolo Scholarship, Corrine Lynch Scholarship, Ken Ziesenheim Scholarship, and Elrod-Berge Study Abroad Scholarship. The Presidential Scholarship gifts up to $35,000 annually to exceptional freshmen with minimum 4.2 GPAs and 1350 SAT scores. The $6,000 Sullivan Writing Scholarship has a November 1st deadline for undergrads with GPAs over 3.0 to submit essays. Federal assistance like the Pell Grant, Teach Grant, and Work-Study Program require FAFSA forms coded 001531. Floridians could also claim the Bright Futures Scholarship, William L. Boyd IV Resident Access Grant, Minority Teacher Scholarship, and more.

Explore four accredited schools that house 70+ non-sectarian degrees ranked 343rd overall by Times Higher Education at the Stetson University website.