Randomly saw this post and know nothing about speech language pathology, but I did undergrad at UF and it definitely seemed like the program was getting a lot of attention. As in, I always hear people talking about SLP. I've also been living in Gainesville for 15 years and would be happy to answer any questions you have about the city and its culture. Personally, I'm trying to get out of Gainesville to go to graduate school, but Gainesville isn't a terrible place to be for a couple years.
Gainesville is definitely a college town. It is not much of a city and it is in the middle of a swamp. However, the cost of living here is really cheap. The high student population means that there are lots of restaurants and bars. If you like nature, Gainesville has beautiful parks and trails. At my favorite park, there is a trail that goes right by the water and there are always alligators out on the trail sunning. One day I went out there and there was even a herd of bison. On the other hand, our summers are brutal and Florida heat is unlike any other heat I've experienced anywhere in the country.
Whichever you choose, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you.