Public · Mostly bachelor's degrees · Midsize city

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida. 32,212 undergraduates. Admits 24% of applicants.

86%Graduation rate31 pts above the national median for similar colleges (54%)
$8,605Average net price per year57% below the national median for similar colleges ($19,899)
$68,225Median earnings 10 years after starting16% above the national median for similar colleges ($58,912)
$13,000Median debt at graduation40% below the national median for similar colleges ($21,609)
Our read

Graduates' median debt ($13,000) equals 19% of former students' median earnings ten years after starting ($68,225). That is a light load relative to pay.

What families actually pay

Under $30,000$4,332
$30,000–$48,000$4,290
$48,001–$75,000$6,953
$75,001–$110,000$11,367
Over $110,000$17,085

Average yearly net price for first-time, full-time students who received federal aid, by family income. Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships. Source: College Scorecard.

Compare net price across collegesPublished tuition and fees: $5,656 in-state, $20,116 out-of-state.

Do students finish, and what do they earn?

MeasureThis collegeSimilar colleges nationally
Graduation rate86%54%
Return for second year96%76%
Median earnings, 6 years after starting$55,822$49,318
Median earnings, 10 years after starting$68,225$58,912
Median debt at graduation$13,000$21,609

Graduation rate within 150% of normal time; retention is the share of first-year students who return. Earnings are medians for former students who received federal aid, working and not enrolled. National comparison is the median for colleges of the same type (mostly bachelor's degrees).

Programs and what graduates earn

235 programs reported
ProgramGraduates / yrMedian earnings, 1 yrMedian earnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing0$208,064$175,883—
Computer and Information Sciences, General227$82,956$122,367—
Accounting and Related Services—$74,884$120,973—
Management Information Systems and Services17—$117,416—
Insurance11$116,591$113,744—
Business/Commerce, General258$88,160$113,083—
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions58$111,138——
Finance and Financial Management Services—$67,850$106,348—
Mechanical Engineering29—$105,774—
Industrial Engineering6—$98,771—
Economics26$63,379$98,760—
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies346$87,971——
Educational/Instructional Media Design38$72,762$87,490—
Public Administration94$56,851$86,436—
Political Science and Government35$55,828$86,147—
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication62$53,820$82,915—
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning28$64,682$80,108—
International Relations and National Security Studies35—$79,962—
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences37$50,020$76,700—
Psychology, General35$60,120$76,522—
Public Health36$53,465$75,578—
Criminal Justice and Corrections129$53,367$71,337—
Educational Administration and Supervision49$51,243$70,943—
Geography and Cartography14—$70,470—
Security Science and Technology30$69,680——
Student Counseling and Personnel Services55$54,360$67,241—
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness122$46,640$64,171—
Biology, General30—$63,428—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas52$57,363$61,558—
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions388$54,601$60,793—
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services65$61,912$59,072—
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management10—$58,010—
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services6$57,098——
Information Science/Studies159$49,337$56,826—
Curriculum and Instruction163$53,233$56,046—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft35$45,486$55,937—
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions33$49,020$53,712—
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication39$51,597——
Music47—$51,007—
Fine and Studio Arts19$38,496$47,667—
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences12$47,045——
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology41$46,244——
Film/Video and Photographic Arts21$39,093——
Area Studies2———
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research3———
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods6———
Biomedical/Medical Engineering9———
Chemical Engineering4———
Civil Engineering25———
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering17———
Systems Engineering31———
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics3———
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics2———
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics1———
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics11———
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics12———
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services4———
Apparel and Textiles3———
English Language and Literature, General14———
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies5———
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology5———
Mathematics14———
Applied Mathematics33———
Statistics16———
Computational Science1———
Data Science18———
Data Analytics11———
Philosophy15———
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology10———
Chemistry47———
Physics5———
Materials Sciences4———
Anthropology8———
Demography1———
Sociology8———
Dance9———
Design and Applied Arts6———
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations37———
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods82———
History3———

Program-level medians for graduates who received federal aid. A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure to protect privacy, usually because the program is small. At four-year colleges, certificate graduates often earned a bachelor's at the same time, so their earnings can reflect the degree. Source: College Scorecard, field of study data.

Getting in

24%Admission rate
1,361Average SAT of admitted students
29–32ACT middle 50%
17:1Students per faculty member
25%Undergraduates with a Pell Grant

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Quick answers

How much does Florida State University cost per year?
The average net price at Florida State University, what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $8,605 per year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much do Florida State University graduates earn?
Former Florida State University students earn a median of $68,225 a year ten years after starting college. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
What is the graduation rate at Florida State University?
86% of Florida State University students graduate within 150% of normal time. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
How much student debt do Florida State University graduates have?
The median federal student debt at graduation from Florida State University is $13,000. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.