Limestone University vs FMU-Florence

Limestone University and Francis Marion University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in South Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Limestone University, a private institution, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Francis Marion University, a public university. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, Limestone University is known for its strong nursing and business programs, while Francis Marion University excels in education and health professions. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student demographics, graduation rates, and cost of attendance, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Francis Marion University logo

Francis Marion University

Limestone University logo

Limestone University

Overview

Location Florence, South Carolina Gaffney, South Carolina
Campus setting Suburb: Small Town: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 66.0% 67.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 86.1% 87.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $41

Graduate: $41
SAT range 930 - 1120 N/A
ACT range 15 - 22 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 20.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0%
Total number of applicants 3,028 1,911
Total number of admissions given out 2,608 1,667
Admitted students who chose to enroll 699 294
Yield rate 26.8% 17.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $24,351

Out of state: $34,735
$39,526
Average net price $13,299 $22,719
Tuition
In state: $10,384

Out of state: $20,768
$25,200
Room & board $8,230
Room/dormitory: $5,477

Meal plan: $5,168
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

98.0%
Average amount $10,192
99.0%
Average amount $19,625
Students receiving federal student loan 59.0%
Average amount $5,579
77.0%
Average amount $9,396
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $7,593
10.0%
Average amount $13,248

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 3,475
Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
1,680
Men 47.5% Women 52.5%
Graduate students 448
Men 22.8% Women 77.2%
160
Men 36.2% Women 63.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students 4.4% N/A
International students 1.6% 2.2%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Small Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,413 711
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from South Carolina North Carolina Florida Georgia Texas N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Psychology
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Liberal Arts
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 43.2% 29.7%
Dropout rate 15.9% 18.8%
Transferred out 38.3% 50.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,582
  • Year 2: $101,964
  • Year 3: $110,561
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,618
  • Year 2: $58,866
  • Year 3: $60,568
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,080
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: $47,870
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,649
  • Year 3: $40,311
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $29,861
  • Year 2: $28,443
  • Year 3: $34,636
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,038
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: $34,338
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,535
  • Year 2: $31,314
  • Year 3: $34,010
Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $23,804
  • Year 2: $28,180
  • Year 3: $32,997
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,805
  • Year 2: $30,157
  • Year 3: $32,022
History (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $22,652
  • Year 3: $31,548
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $52,685
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,004
  • Year 2: $52,607
  • Year 3: $49,588
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,094
  • Year 2: $40,896
  • Year 3: $42,756
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $38,022
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $34,123
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,986
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: $33,688
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,027
  • Year 2: $34,847
  • Year 3: $33,172
Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,421
  • Year 2: $30,854
  • Year 3: $31,656
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,848
  • Year 3: N/A
Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,565
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs University of West Alabama University of West Alabama
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Clark Atlanta University Clark Atlanta University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Fort Valley State University Fort Valley State University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Paine College Paine College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Spelman College Spelman College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Mississippi University for Women Mississippi University for Women
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Fayetteville State University Fayetteville State University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Johnson C Smith University Johnson C Smith University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Winston-Salem State University Winston-Salem State University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs East Central University East Central University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Lincoln University Lincoln University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Allen University Allen University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Anderson University Anderson University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Benedict College Benedict College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Bob Jones University Bob Jones University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Southern Wesleyan University Southern Wesleyan University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Claflin University Claflin University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Clemson University Clemson University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Furman University Furman University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Presbyterian College Presbyterian College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Voorhees College Voorhees College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Wofford College Wofford College
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Shepherd University Shepherd University
Francis Marion University FMU-Florence vs Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Gulf Coast University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Naropa University Naropa University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Lynn University Lynn University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Warner University Warner University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Fort Valley State University Fort Valley State University
Limestone University Limestone University vs University of Georgia University of Georgia
Limestone University Limestone University vs Paine College Paine College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Lincoln College Lincoln College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Upper Iowa University Upper Iowa University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Wingate University Wingate University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Allen University Allen University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Benedict College Benedict College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Bob Jones University Bob Jones University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Southern Wesleyan University Southern Wesleyan University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Claflin University Claflin University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Coker University Coker University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Columbia International University Columbia International University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Converse University Converse University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Erskine College Erskine College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Francis Marion University Francis Marion University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Lander University Lander University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Morris College Morris College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Presbyterian College Presbyterian College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Voorhees College Voorhees College
Limestone University Limestone University vs Winthrop University Winthrop University
Limestone University Limestone University vs Tusculum University Tusculum University