University of Tampa

FLORIDA COLLEGE TRIP STOP #1, MARCH 2019

It was such a treat to visit the University of Tampa in February when back home in Portland, Oregon, it was 32 degrees and snowing. The 75-degree weather is nothing new to Tampa’s 9,000 students (7,588 full-time undergraduates) on this private, medium-sized university in the heart of Tampa.  On my tour, students who were not in class or lounging by the pool were studying in hammocks strung between palm trees alongside the adjacent Hillsborough River. The landmark building on campus is Plant Hall, formerly the Tampa Bay Hotel and famous for its Victorian style and signature minarets (which I climbed!)

The University of Tampa’s traditional, self-contained campus is only steps away from the professional and cultural opportunities of downtown Tampa, offering students real-world learning experiences in more than 200 areas of study. Their most popular programs include nursing, a top Marine Science program (with a 3,000 square foot, waterfront Marine Science Station, partnerships with the Florida Aquarium, and three large research boats), Business (with strong International Business, Finance and Cyber Security programs), Communications (with a focus on both theory and practice, and internships with nearby NBC and the Tampa Bay Times), Criminology & Forensic Science (the FBI and CIA recruit on campus and they have two CSI labs and a morgue), and Sports Management (great internships with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and more).

UT students are described as being metropolitan, cosmopolitan, and independent. UT admits about half of its applicants, and for a private university, it is refreshingly affordable given its starting price (Cost of Attendance) of $39,930. The top 28% of applicants receive an average of $8,500, with the highest scholarship being $16,000. UT is diverse and “not a rich kid school” with students from all 50 states, 13% international students and 23% of students are Pell Eligible.