- Small, public suburban university
- The newest of the 12 universities in the State University System of Florida
- Created 2012
- 100% focused on STEM education
- 1,600 students
- 20% female
- 12% non-Florida residents
- Selective – 44% acceptance rate
- 18:1 student to faculty ratio
- 70% retention rate
Location
- Central Florida
- Halfway between Tampa (30 mins) and Orlando (40 mins)
- Located in the ‘High Tech Corridor’ of Florida – 70% of the tech jobs in Florida area within a 60 mile radius
- 170 acre campus
Academic
- 10 bachelor degrees – 31 concentrations
- 4 year BSc degrees
- Most popular majors are Computing Science (45%) and Mechanical Engineering (22%)
- All programmes have the same admission criteria so once a student is admitted to the university they have access to all programmes
- Students complete just over a year of STEM general education requirements and then dive into their specific major
- All students do a senior capstone project
- Lots of hands-on and experiential learning opportunities
- Students must complete at least one internship to graduate – many do more.
Examples of internships include: NASA, FBI, Amazon, Walt Disney, Kennedy Space Centre - 70% of internships end up leading to full time job offers
- All classes are taught by full time professors
- Small classes – no lecture halls. Largest class is 45 students and average is 18-20
- Students can really get to know their professors and they are easily accessible
- New in 2022 – $47 million 85,000 squared foot Applied Research Centre with a maker’s space and 18 state-of-the-art labs
Application
- Opens 1st August
- Priority deadline – Nov 1st (guarantees decision by Nov 15th and is also the priority deadline for merit scholarships)
- Regular Decision -1st March
- Use Common App or Florida Ploy website application (no preference)
Application fee $30 - SAT/ACT is required. SAT 1200 – 1360 / ACT 26 – 31. Super-scored.
- Average weighted GPA 4.0
- Evidence of Maths preparedness is key in the transcript – the majority of admitted students have taken a calculus class
- No separate essay
- Application: Test results, transcript, 1-3 letters of recommendation – encouraged, but not required / good to have at least one from a STEM teacher or mentor
- Academic Support Services runs a Student Success Centre staffed by coaches who provide academic support and help with adjusting to university
Finances
- Lowest student debt of all Florida public universities
- Out-of-state tuition = $21,005
- TCOA = $34,000
- All students are automatically reviewed holistically for scholarships – the whole application is considered
Accommodation
- Two residence halls – enough for just over ½ the student body
- 80%+ of first years live in university housing
- A new building will open in fall 2024, and another is planned for 2025/26
Activities
- 30+ student-led clubs and organisations
- Club Row is held at the start of each semester for clubs to showcase themselves
- The University Trail – multi use trail attached to the campus
- Opportunity to join the student government
- Fitness centre and a range of health and wellness services – including free counselling and the support of Peer Health Educators
Other
- Campus tours are offered 7 days a week
- First university with a completely digital campus library
Visit the Florida Polytechnic University website
