Admit rate has ranged 50%–65% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Florida Polytechnic University is Florida's only public university dedicated exclusively to STEM. It's a young, hyper-focused institution where the vibe is less about ivy-covered quads and more about the hum of servers and 3D printers. The campus, anchored by the futuristic Innovation, Science, and Technology (IST) Building, feels like a startup incubator crossed with an engineering lab, offering a no-frills, hands-on education laser-targeted at high-demand tech careers.
Admission requirements
Test scores required
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
College-prep program
Considered (not required)
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
Demonstrated competencies
TOEFL (non-native English)
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
1,689
In-state tuition
$4,940
Out-of-state tuition
$21,005
No-Loan Policy
No indication
Graduation Rate
55%
Meets Full Need
No indication
ED Share of Class
Not offered
First-Year Retention
Not stated in sources
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Median Earnings (1yr)
$66,800
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median debt at graduation
$14,250
Graduation rate
55%
First-year retention
75%
Pell (lower-income) share
33%
Endowment / student
$2,433
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
2
Per 1,000 students
1.13
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
126
Summer high
89°F
Winter low
55°F
Annual rain
60.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Relatively High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
85
Scholarly works
1,670
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Florida Polytechnic University?
Florida Polytechnic University's acceptance rate is approximately 58% (Lakeland, FL), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Florida Polytechnic University?
Admitted students at Florida Polytechnic University typically score 1170–1340 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Florida Polytechnic University cost?
At Florida Polytechnic University, the average net price (after aid) is about $11,853 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Florida Polytechnic University?
Florida Polytechnic University enrolls approximately 1,689 undergraduate students.
Where is Florida Polytechnic University located?
Florida Polytechnic University is located in Lakeland, FL.
Admissions
Admissions at Florida Poly are selective, with the university explicitly stating it considers academic performance and standardized test scores for all applicants. The process is test-aware, meaning SAT or ACT scores are a required component of the application. The admitted student profile is academically strong, with sources citing average high school GPAs ranging from 3.74 to 4.17 and SAT scores averaging between 1258 and 1340. While the university does not offer Early Decision, it does consider demonstrated interest as part of its , giving special consideration to students with talents or abilities in areas of interest to the institution. The rate—the percentage of admitted students who enroll—has fluctuated in recent years, with historical data showing rates from the mid-20s to the mid-40s.
Florida Poly’s academic identity is unambiguous: it’s a STEM factory. Every bachelor's degree program is engineered to combine rigorous theory with relentless, real-world application. The curriculum is explicitly industry-aligned, designed to produce graduates who can immediately contribute in high-tech fields. Popular majors are dominated by computing and engineering; Computer Science is the undisputed leader, followed by Mechanical Engineering, Data Science, and interdisciplinary studies.
The experience is defined by small class sizes and a hands-on learning philosophy. Students don't just study innovation; they are expected to participate in it through undergraduate research and projects that have tangible impact. The university promotes a flexible academic approach, allowing students to tailor their studies to strengthen their credentials and gain a competitive edge. This is not a liberal arts college with a strong engineering department; it is a purpose-built institution where every resource and requirement is directed toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Life at Florida Poly is intensely campus-centric, with a majority of students (58%) living in university housing. The setting is suburban Lakeland, and the social scene is largely self-generated through clubs, organizations, and student-run events. The university actively promotes involvement beyond academics, framing student life as a way to "find your people" and create lasting memories.
A signature event that captures the campus culture is FLPolyCon, a student-run "geek culture extravaganza" that draws over 1,500 enthusiasts for its annual celebration of comics, gaming, and pop culture. Athletics are present but limited to club and intramural sports, reinforcing the focus on academic and special-interest communities over traditional NCAA spectacle. With an undergraduate population around 1,700, the environment is tight-knit, where it's hard to be anonymous and easier to find a niche among like-minded, tech-focused peers.
The entire Florida Poly experiment is validated by its graduates' career launch. The university boasts a repeated national Top 10 ranking for career outcomes. Its most powerful statistic: full-time employed alumni earn a median wage of $66,800 one year after graduation, which the university reports is the highest among all state universities in Florida. This figure starkly outpaces the median for other Florida public university graduates, which sources indicate can be as low as $28,000.
This strong early-career ROI is the direct payoff of its industry-focused model. The graduation rate, while a point of focus for a young institution, is reported by external sources to be around 53-55%.
As a public institution, Florida Poly offers a significantly lower tuition base than private tech schools. The stated tuition for Florida residents is $4,273 per year, though the total cost before aid is estimated around $25,601. Financial aid is widely available, with 98% of full-time beginning undergraduates receiving some form of grant or scholarship aid. The average aid package is reported to be around $13,542, with need-based grants averaging about $11,088.
Institutional grants are particularly common, awarded to 95% of students, with an average value of $4,033. State grants also play a major role, benefiting 72% of in-state students. Loans are part of the aid mix for about a third of students. The university provides a Calculator and directs students to complete the FAFSA to apply for , including grants, loans, and work-study. There is no indication in the provided sources that Florida Poly has a "no-loan" policy or meets 100% of demonstrated financial need without loans.
Florida Poly stands out because it is a pure play. In a higher education landscape full of universities trying to be everything to everyone, it is unapologetically singular. It exists for one reason: to produce workforce-ready STEM professionals with the highest possible starting salaries. There are no humanities majors to dilute the focus, no sprawling athletic conferences to divert resources. Every element—from the curriculum built alongside industry partners to the futuristic architecture of its main building—serves that mission.
The result is an intensely pragmatic, almost vocational, atmosphere for high-achieving students who know exactly what they want to do. It’s a trade school for the intellectual elite, a public alternative to expensive private tech institutes, and a direct pipeline into Florida’s growing tech economy. Its value proposition is brutally clear: come here, work hard on nothing but applied STEM, and walk out into one of the best-paying first jobs in the state university system.
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