Florida State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Miami, Florida · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2025-2026
Florida State University is a public university in Miami, Florida that admits about 59% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $9,133 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Biology, General and Biological and Physical Sciences, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 78% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 2.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Florida State University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, Florida State University admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 59%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1154 and an ACT composite around 24. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $9,133 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Florida State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Florida State University?
Florida State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Florida State University weight in admissions?
Florida State University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Interview
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Florida State University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–610, with an EBRW midpoint near 590. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–26. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
| 25th percentile | 1070 |
| 50th percentile | 1170 |
| 75th percentile | 1260 |
| % submitting SAT | 92% |
| 25th percentile | 22 |
| 50th percentile | 25 |
| 75th percentile | 27 |
| % submitting ACT | 8% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 23% |
| Top 25% of class | 46% |
| Top 50% of class | 55% |
| % submitting class rank | 76% |
How much does Florida State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $6,565 for in-state students and $18,963 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,156 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $9,133 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 40% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $6,168 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,806 |
| Room and board | $13,852 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $9,133 |
| Application fee | $30 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Florida State University
| Regular deadline | March 4 |
| Notification date | June 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 3 |
Will my child graduate from Florida State University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at Florida State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Florida State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Biology, General and Biological and Physical Sciences. Across all programs, Florida State University confers roughly 6,399 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $48,400 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 1,715 | $48,400 |
| Biology, General | 896 | $58,495 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 735 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 665 | $89,221 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 665 | $76,804 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 622 | $49,350 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 600 | $55,148 |
| International Business | 501 | $64,473 |
Is Florida State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Florida State University disclosed 105 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 2.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 3 violent offenses and 15 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at Florida State University?
About 7% of undergraduates at Florida State University live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Florida parents ask about
- University of Florida24% acceptance
- University of Miami25% acceptance
- University of Central Florida40% acceptance
- University of South Florida-Main Campus41% acceptance
- Florida International University59% acceptance
- University of North Florida57% acceptance
- Florida Atlantic University41% acceptance
- Florida Gulf Coast University86% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Florida State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Florida State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Florida State University
What GPA do I need for Florida State University?
Florida State University admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does Florida State University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 510–610, with an EBRW midpoint near 590. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 20–26.
How much does Florida State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Florida State University after grants and scholarships is $9,133 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Florida State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Florida State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Florida State University?
Florida State University accepts about 59% of applicants out of roughly 36,103 who apply each year. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is Florida State University test-optional?
No. Florida State University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at Florida State University?
About 78% of students at Florida State University graduate within six years. 92% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does Florida State University look for in applicants?
Florida State University rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and test scores as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Florida State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Florida State University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida.
What are the most popular majors at Florida State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Florida State University by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Biology, General and Biological and Physical Sciences. The school awards about 6,399 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Florida State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Florida State University reported 105 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 2.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at Florida State University?
At Florida State University, 7% of undergraduates live on campus, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Florida State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.