Florida Atlantic University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Boca Raton, Florida. It enrolls 23,757 students (a very large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Strong
83/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes68
Value96
Affordability74
Selectivity54
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Florida Atlantic University admits 66.1% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
66.1%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1040 – 1200
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
21 – 26
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyRequiredSAT or ACT scores must be submitted with the application.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Florida Atlantic University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
10.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $8,752 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,879
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$17,324
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,860
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,968
Books & Supplies
$1,320
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$7,878
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,810
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,522
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$3,022
$30,001 – $48,000
$4,135
$48,001 – $75,000
$8,106
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,440
Over $110,000
$16,854
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$17,236Medianpercentile
$22,75075%percentile
$31,25090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,506
↓ $4,730
No Pell $11,979
↓ $5,257
Dependent students $11,250
↓ $5,986
Independent students $15,000
↓ $2,236
Female students $12,500
↓ $4,736
Male students $12,409
↓ $4,827
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($17,236), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
58% of students who start here finish within six years, and 84% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
58%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
84%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $56,746 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$56,746
Earning > $25K
81%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$45,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$53,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$46,200
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$49,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$51,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,500, about 16% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
15.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 23,757 students, a sprawling student community. Worth knowing: 39% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
23,757
Part-Time
25%
First-Generation
39%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 42.5%10,106
Hispanic 29.0%6,878
Black 16.3%3,863
Other 4.2%998
Asian 3.8%893
International 3.0%703
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Florida Atlantic University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Florida Atlantic University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
155 distinct programs across
25 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 23 students for every instructor here: high, so expect big lectures and to work harder for one-to-one time.
Student : Faculty
23:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,018
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$355M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$93,848
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
879 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
232
26%
$126,540
Associate Professors
243
28%
$99,575
Assistant Professors
150
17%
$84,262
Instructors
252
29%
$65,323
No Rank
2
0%
$95,676
Pros & Cons of Florida Atlantic University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Florida Atlantic University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Florida Atlantic University is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low.
Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Atlantic University
The questions families ask most about Florida Atlantic University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Florida Atlantic University hard to get into?
Admissions at Florida Atlantic University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 66.1%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Florida Atlantic University?
66.1% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Florida Atlantic University?
Aim for 1200 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1040 and 1200 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Florida Atlantic University?
Aim for 26 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 21 and 26 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Florida Atlantic University cost?
Budget around $8,752 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Florida Atlantic University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $56,746 a year against a net price of $8,752, about 6.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Florida Atlantic University known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Biology, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Florida Atlantic University graduates earn?
About $56,746 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Florida Atlantic University accredited?
Yes. Florida Atlantic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Florida Atlantic University?
23,757 students. Large, so expect big lectures and more independence in finding your own footing. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Florida Atlantic University?
58% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Florida Atlantic University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Florida Atlantic University located?
Florida Atlantic University is located in Boca Raton, Florida.
What programs does Florida Atlantic University offer?
155 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Biology, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Florida Atlantic University?
23 students per instructor. On the high side, so expect big classes and to seek out contact time yourself. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Florida
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Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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