Public Graduate Strong 71/100

Florida Polytechnic University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Lakeland, Florida

About Florida Polytechnic University

Thinking about Florida Polytechnic University, a college in Florida where more students graduate in Computer Science than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Florida Polytechnic University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Lakeland, Florida. It enrolls 1,689 students (a mid-sized 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.

Acceptance
57.5%
Graduation
—
Net Price
$11,853
Median Earnings (10yr)
—
Enrollment
1,689
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

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
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 44
Value —
Affordability 68
Selectivity 78

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Florida Polytechnic University admits 57.5% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
57.5%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1170 – 1340
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 30
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Required SAT 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 Polytechnic University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 5.7 pts since 2019
50%201958.4%202065.1%202156%202255.7%2023

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 $11,853 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$11,853
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
33%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
25%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$4,940
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$21,005
Room & Board (on-campus)
$14,482
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,482
Books & Supplies
$839
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,956
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,956
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,817

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
    $8,819
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,769
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $11,316
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,037
  • Over $110,000
    $16,423

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.

$14,250
Median 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 $10,160 ↓ $4,090
No Pell $6,113 ↓ $8,137
Dependent students $7,500 ↓ $6,750
Independent students $8,250 ↓ $6,000
Female students $6,000 ↓ $8,250
Male students $7,780 ↓ $6,470
Pell recipients: 22.2% (3,161 students)No Pell: 13.3% (1,902 students)Dependent students: 16.4% (2,333 students)Independent students: 18.0% (2,567 students)Female students: 13.1% (1,867 students)Male students: 17.0% (2,420 students)Overall Median$14,250
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,500, less than completers ($14,250), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

75% come back after first year. A sizeable share do not return for year two. Worth asking why. 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
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Florida Polytechnic University has not reported graduate earnings. Where that figure is missing, the programs section below is the better guide, since pay follows the field you study more closely than the college you attend.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
—
Earning > $25K
—
10 yrs after entry

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,689 students, a mid-sized community.

Total Enrolled
1,689
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
—

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 53.1% 896
Hispanic 27.0% 456
Other 5.6% 95
Asian 5.5% 93
Black 5.5% 92
International 2.6% 44
White: 53.1% (896 students)Hispanic: 27.0% (456 students)Other: 5.6% (95 students)Asian: 5.5% (93 students)Black: 5.5% (92 students)International: 2.6% (44 students)Total1,689

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Florida Polytechnic University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe Lakeland, Florida
Housing
Strongly residential 1,381 beds for 1,689 students
Adult Learners
5% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Engineering graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Florida Polytechnic University offers a varied set of programs: 12 distinct programs across 5 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.

2 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,696
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.6M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$91,608
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

85 instructional faculty across 4 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 6 7% $151,300
Associate Professors 11 13% $104,308
Assistant Professors 55 65% $87,157
Instructors 13 15% $70,518

Pros & Cons of Florida Polytechnic University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Florida Polytechnic University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers

Frequently Asked Questions about Florida Polytechnic University

The questions families ask most about Florida Polytechnic University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Florida Polytechnic University hard to get into?
Admissions at Florida Polytechnic University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 57.5%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Florida Polytechnic University?
57.5% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Florida Polytechnic University?
Aim for 1340 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1170 and 1340 (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 Polytechnic University?
Aim for 30 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 24 and 30 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Florida Polytechnic University cost?
Budget around $11,853 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.
What is Florida Polytechnic University known for?
Mostly Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Data Analytics. 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.
Is Florida Polytechnic University accredited?
Yes. Florida Polytechnic University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Florida Polytechnic University?
1,689 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Florida Polytechnic University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Florida Polytechnic University located?
Florida Polytechnic University is located in Lakeland, Florida.
What programs does Florida Polytechnic University offer?
12 different programs, most commonly Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Data Analytics. 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 Polytechnic University?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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