Florida State University
Florida's selective public research university in Tallahassee, home to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.
- Acceptance rate
- 24%
- First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
- Students
- 45,744
- 34,271 undergraduates
- International
- 3%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $22,232
- 2026-27
About FSU
Florida State University dates its charter to 1851, when the Florida legislature created the West Florida Seminary. It was the Florida State College for Women from 1905 until it became coeducational as Florida State University in 1947. Its main campus of about 487 acres sits near downtown Tallahassee, the state capital, with a branch campus in Panama City, a campus in the Republic of Panama and study centers in London, Florence and Valencia. In fall 2025 it enrolled 45,744 students, including 34,271 undergraduates.
FSU is organised into 17 colleges and schools, from Arts and Sciences and the Herbert Wertheim College of Business to the College of Motion Picture Arts, the College of Music, the Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship and a joint College of Engineering shared with Florida A&M University. It hosts the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida's only national laboratory, and helped develop the process for synthesising the cancer drug Taxol.
Admission has become much more selective: FSU admitted 20,364 of 85,469 first-year applicants for fall 2025 (23.8%), and SAT or ACT scores are required. For the fall 2027 cycle it offers binding Early Decision for the first time. It suits students who want a big-school experience with ACC athletics and a strong honors and research track, and Florida residents in particular get very low tuition.
Vires, Artes, Mores
“Strength, Skill, Character” — university motto
Why students choose FSU
Low cost for Floridians: in-state tuition is $5,604 for 26 credits a year, and Bright Futures plus FSU merit awards such as the Vires Scholarship can reduce it further.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the largest and highest-powered lab of its kind, sits on FSU's Southwest Campus, and the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) connects first-years with research mentors.
Distinctive programs such as the College of Motion Picture Arts, the College of Music and the student-run Flying High Circus, one of only two collegiate circuses in the US.
Seminoles athletics in the ACC, with 19 national championships in nine sports and the Marching Chiefs band.
Admissions
First-year students entering fall 2025 (Common Data Set 2025-26)
About 1 in 4 applicants is admitted
20,364 admitted from 85,469 applicants
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
The CDS cohort includes summer starts; 6,559 first-years enrolled. FSU's 2025 Fact Sheet, which counts fall first-time-in-college students only, reports 71,732 applicants, 15,933 admitted (22.2%) and 4,117 enrolled. Merit scholarship funds are limited, and FSU gives priority scholarship consideration to Early Decision and Early Action applicants.
Typical entry requirements
| US high school (Florida Board of Governors minimum) | English 4, math 4, natural science 3, social science 3, world language 2 sequential; admits typically exceed this |
|---|---|
| Non-US curricula | Official secondary records or exam results with certified English translations, evaluated by a NACES or AACRAO credential evaluation service |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Minimums for non-native speakers: TOEFL iBT 80 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.0 on the new scale, IELTS Academic 6.5, PTE 55, Michigan Language Assessment 55, Duolingo 125, or Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 180. Scores are valid for two years. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 9 daysOctober 15, 2026
US domestic applicants only (not talent-based majors or CARE); Common App only; materials by October 22; decisions December 17; deposit due January 15. Extra test scores accepted until December 1.
- Early Action (Florida residents only) Non-binding In 9 daysOctober 15, 2026
Materials by October 22; decisions December 17; deposit due May 1.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In 56 daysDecember 1, 2026
All applicants, including international; materials by December 8; test scores by January 1; decisions February 18.
- Rolling Non-binding In ~5 monthsMarch 1, 2027
Materials and test scores by March 8; decisions on a rolling basis in April.
Dates are from FSU's current first-year application page, which lists them without a year; because it introduces Early Decision, which the October 2025 version of the page did not offer, these are the fall 2027 cycle dates. International applicants should use Regular Decision.
How to apply
Common App or FSU Application (no preference; Early Decision requires the Common App); $30 fee; essay; resume or activities list; self-reported grades through STARS; self-reported SAT/ACT/CLT scores on the Admissions Portal; Florida residents complete a Residency Declaration. Letters of recommendation and school reports are not required or used. Honors/Presidential Scholars supplement due December 1.
What admissions looks for
- Vires (strength): grades, course rigor and test scores, judged in the context of your school's academic environment.
- Artes (skill): how you use time outside class, from sports, clubs and jobs to family responsibilities, shown through your resume.
- Mores (character): who you are, formative experiences and life goals, shown in your essay and resume.
- Holistic review in which no single criterion guarantees admission; talented artists, athletes and CARE applicants get additional consideration.
Tips for applying to FSU
- 1 Decide early on your plan: Early Decision and Florida-resident Early Action close October 15, and FSU gives priority for limited merit money to those rounds.
- 2 Enter your STARS record exactly as your transcript reads: no weighting, converting or averaging of grades.
- 3 Self-report every test sitting on the Admissions Portal; FSU superscores across dates, and lower scores do not hurt you.
- 4 Stack advanced courses: 2025 admits averaged 6 math, 5 science and 5 social science courses against minimums of 4, 3 and 3.
- 5 If you want the Presidential Scholars or Stamps awards, say yes to Honors on your application and finish the Honors supplement by December 1.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Florida State University
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
All admitted first-years are automatically considered for merit scholarships, including the Vires Scholarship ($16,000 over four years, Florida residents), out-of-state tuition waivers worth about $73,808 over four years, the Presidential Scholars award and the Stamps Scholarship (up to full cost for five students a year). Need-based aid uses the FAFSA. International students receive institutional aid on a limited basis: 522 received it in 2025-26, averaging $10,093.
- $26,018
- 2026-27 cost of attendance on campus, Florida resident
- $43,916
- 2026-27 cost of attendance on campus, out-of-state
- 66%
- Average share of need met for full-time undergraduates (CDS 2025-26)
- 522, averaging $10,093
- Nonresident undergraduates receiving institutional aid (CDS 2025-26)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Physics and materials research at the Mag Lab
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory on FSU's campus is one of only nine such facilities worldwide and the largest and highest-powered of its kind.
College of Motion Picture Arts
A dedicated film school with 110 undergraduates in fall 2025; alumni include Oscar winner Barry Jenkins.
Criminology and Criminal Justice
A standalone college with 1,377 undergraduates in fall 2025.
Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship
A standalone entrepreneurship school with nearly 500 undergraduates.
Dedman School of Hospitality
A specialist hospitality school that awarded 250 bachelor's degrees in 2024-25.
Research
- The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida's only national laboratory, was awarded to FSU by the National Science Foundation in 1990.
- FSU developed the process used to synthesise the anti-cancer drug Taxol.
- FSU operates the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, the State Art Museum of Florida.
- The High Energy Physics program, founded in 1950, collaborates with Fermilab and CERN.
Schools & faculties
- College of Arts and Sciences
- Herbert Wertheim College of Business
- College of Communication and Information
- College of Criminology and Criminal Justice
- Anne's College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
- FAMU-FSU College of Engineering
- College of Fine Arts
- College of Motion Picture Arts
- College of Music
- College of Nursing
- College of Social Sciences and Public Policy
- College of Medicine
College Scorecard: median earnings of $61,675 ten years after entry (and $49,814 six years after entry) for federally aided students.
Student life
FSU is a big, spirited campus: more than 650 registered student organisations, a student-run cinema, and the FSU Flying High Circus, which students audition to join. Football Saturdays at Doak Campbell Stadium bring out the Marching Chiefs, and the Seminoles name and imagery are used with the permission of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. University housing, including living-learning communities, holds about 6,400 students, and the Leach Student Recreation Center anchors fitness on campus.
- Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference, with 19 national championships in nine sports.
- The Marching Chiefs marching band.
- The FSU Flying High Circus, one of two collegiate circuses in the country.
- More than 650 Recognized Student Organizations.
- Study centers in London, Florence, Valencia and Panama.
Housing. FSU houses about 6,400 undergraduate and graduate students on the main campus, including Living-Learning Communities; housing contracts open to admitted students in late February.
Location
Tallahassee is Florida's state capital, in the Panhandle close to the Georgia border. FSU's main campus sits just west of downtown and the Capitol, bordered by Tennessee Street to the north and Gaines Street to the south, so students live, eat and go out in neighbourhoods right around campus. The engineering college and the Mag Lab are on the Southwest Campus, and FSU's Panama City campus is about 100 miles away on the Gulf coast.
Nearest airport: Tallahassee International Airport (TLH)
Notable alumni
- BJ Barry JenkinsAcademy Award-winning director of Moonlight
- AB Alan BallAcademy Award-winning screenwriter of American Beauty, creator of Six Feet Under
- BR Burt ReynoldsActor, Deliverance and Boogie Nights
- CC Charlie CristFormer Governor of Florida and US congressman
- NT Norman ThagardNASA astronaut
- WE Winston E. ScottNASA astronaut
- MR Myron RolleSeminoles football player, 2009 Rhodes Scholar and neurosurgeon
- LC Lee CorsoESPN College GameDay broadcaster
Frequently asked questions
What is Florida State's acceptance rate?
FSU admitted 20,364 of 85,469 first-year applicants for fall 2025, an acceptance rate of about 24%.
Does FSU require the SAT or ACT?
Yes. Florida's Board of Governors requires every first-year applicant, including international students, to submit an SAT, ACT or CLT score. Enrolled fall 2025 students had middle-50% ranges of 1300-1410 on the SAT and 29-32 on the ACT.
Does Florida State have Early Decision?
Yes. FSU offers binding Early Decision for US domestic applicants with an October 15 deadline and December 17 decisions. Early Action (October 15) is for Florida residents only, and Regular Decision closes December 1.
Does FSU require recommendation letters?
No. FSU does not require letters of recommendation or a school report and will not use them; it relies on your STARS self-reported transcript, test scores, essay and resume.
How much does FSU cost for out-of-state and international students?
FSU's 2026-27 estimated cost of attendance for an out-of-state student living on campus is $43,916, including $22,232 in tuition at 13 credits per term. Merit-based out-of-state tuition waivers are available to a limited number of admitted students.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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