Let’s take it one step at a time.
What kind of university it is
Florida Atlantic University is a public, four-year university located in Boca Raton, Florida, in Palm Beach County. It is within the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metropolitan area, although that does not mean the campus is in the center of any of those cities. If your child plans to live at home and commute every day, I recommend something very specific: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of their classes. The real travel time is almost never what the map says.
The Carnegie system, which classifies the country’s universities based on what they actually do, places it among doctoral institutions with high research activity. It also describes it as a large, primarily nonresidential institution — that is, either fewer than one in four undergraduate students live on campus, or fewer than half study full time. The data do not clarify which of those two conditions was met, and they also do not mean that there are no residence halls; in fact, there are, as you will see later.
One fact worth emphasizing if your child is coming from another university: Carnegie places Florida Atlantic among institutions that receive many transfer students. That does not tell you how many credits they arrive with or how many are lost along the way. If this is your child’s path, ask in writing, before enrolling, which courses will count and which will not.
Florida Atlantic reports the doctorate as the highest level it offers institutionally, and it is classified as a school that awards primarily bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is a fact about the institution as a whole, not a guarantee that the exact major your child is interested in has a path to graduate study. Verify that program by program.
And one clarification that sometimes matters a great deal to a family: Florida Atlantic University does not have any of these three federal designations — it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), not a tribal college or university, and not a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this national directory, 138 do have at least one of the three. Florida Atlantic’s not having them says nothing about which communities it serves well or how your child will feel there. That requires research by asking about cultural centers and active student organizations, and by speaking with someone who is studying there today.
The real size of the community
Here is a number worth pausing to read twice: 29 out of every 100 undergraduate students at Florida Atlantic University are Hispanic or Latino. That is one in four, or more. Compared with the 519 selective public four-year schools included in this national census, that proportion places it in the highest quarter of the group.
Put plainly for a Latino family: on this campus, being Latino would not be the exception.
But be careful about what that number does not say. A high percentage of Latino students is not the same as support for Latino students. The data count how many there are, not whether there is a counselor who speaks Spanish, targeted tutoring, or whether those students complete their degrees. And it is the percentage for the entire school, not for your child’s specific major.
Other facts about the student community: adults ages 25 to 64 are a minority among undergraduates — just 14 out of every 100. There are more women than men: 57 out of every 100. And regarding where incoming students came from — their states of origin — the federal report simply does not include that information for the 2023 cycle.
In terms of scale, Florida Atlantic reported 30,790 enrolled students in the official fall count, a figure that places it in the highest size band the government uses for classification. But that number includes graduate students: 24,614 are undergraduates, 6,176 are graduate students. If your child is starting college, the number that matters to them is 24,614, not the total.
How academics work
The year at Florida Atlantic is organized by semesters — two long terms, about 15 weeks each.
The university reports that it accepts AP exam credits, but it did not indicate that it grants credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it gives credit for every score: it does not say what scores it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child’s exact major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling — do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand. It also reports that it enrolls high school students in college-credit courses through a formal dual-enrollment program, and that it accepts credit for military training.
As for degree offerings, Florida Atlantic awarded 5,640 bachelor’s degrees in a single year, spread across 22 distinct academic families. The family awarding the most degrees was business and administration, with 22 out of every 100 degrees that year — the largest, but not taking the whole share. No family accounted for 30 out of every 100 degrees. Compared with 514 similar schools, Florida Atlantic is in the highest quarter for degrees awarded each year. It is a broad offering, but “22 families listed in the report” are not 22 exact majors and do not guarantee that all had positive degree counts: verify the specific program your child is interested in.
One number worth looking at directly: the ratio of students to instructional staff, both measured as full-time equivalents, is 23 to 1. That places it in the highest quarter among 519 similar schools. But this number is not class size — it is an institution-wide aggregate ratio. IPEDS does not report the average first-year class size here; if that matters to you, ask the university directly.
Regarding structured academic opportunities, the institution reports: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, noncredit developmental education, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval for initial teacher certification.
How admission works
Florida Atlantic does not have open admission. There are factors it reviews before saying yes. Of the nine considerations this report evaluates, excluding admission tests and legacy status, it marks four as required: the high school transcript, high school grade-point average, completion of the curriculum the university requires, and the English-language proficiency exam for those to whom it applies.
Other factors are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and whether someone in the family attended there. Regarding the last one — legacy — there is something worth saying plainly: your child cannot change it. If it does not apply to their situation, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within their control.
The undergraduate application fee is $30.
Now for the numbers from the process itself. Of the 27,612 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle, 20,279 received an offer of admission — that is 73 out of every 100. Compared with 519 selective public schools, it is a common rate, somewhat below the middle of the group in selectivity. Put another way: although thousands apply, most receive a yes. Your child has reason to submit a complete application on time. But remember: that figure is from one cycle, not a fixed rule of the institution. When it is your child’s turn, check the number for the relevant year again.
Here is a fact that may surprise you: out of every 100 admitted students, only 22 ultimately enrolled. The other 78 had a place here and did not take it. And do not read that as a stain — the fact that most admitted students did not enroll says nothing about the quality of the school; the federal record does not explain why each person made the decision they made. What does matter is this: wait for your net-price letter, which is what the year will truly cost you. With that number in hand, you decide whether this school stays on the list.
The SAT or ACT is required here — without a score there is no complete application. Of the first-time students who enrolled, 78 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, placing Florida Atlantic in the highest quarter among 406 similar universities in terms of submission proportion. Among those who submitted scores, the middle half scored between 530 and 620 in reading and writing, and between 510 and 590 in math. If your child is below those numbers, it does not mean they are excluded — but it is something to consider early. And remember: those ranges are for students who already enrolled, not all applicants; 530 is not a minimum and 620 is not a guarantee of anything.
Regarding transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 24 out of every 100 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another institution. That is a common rate among similar schools. Changing schools is not the same as failing — but it is wise for your child to know beforehand how to request records for leaving if necessary. On the other hand, in the fall count of 2023, 2,380 students entered Florida Atlantic for the first time after having studied at another institution. That is a large incoming flow. Neither of these figures says how many credits were recognized in the transfer — that must be requested in writing, with the course list in hand.
Money: published price and real price
At Florida Atlantic University, among 389 first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid and paid the in-state or district rate, whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $3,120. Among 226 students in the same population with EFC family income of $48,001 to $75,000, it was $8,772; among 209 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $16,235. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income and their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band (389 students) and that of the highest band (209 students), there is a difference of $13,115. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any scholarship, the average was $9,839.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this fact with the same time coverage, this one falls in the least expensive quarter for lower-income families, after scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it is inexpensive for your family. It is a fact that matters when building the list of schools to which to apply.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands on this profile describe first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that governs is the aid letter you receive.
Scholarships, aid, and loans
Out of every 100 students seeking a degree, 65 received some type of aid that does not have to be repaid — a scholarship or grant, from any source. Compared with 519 similar schools, that proportion falls in the quarter where aid reaches fewer students. Among those who did receive it, the average for the year was $9,514.
A separate fact: 37 out of every 100 students received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for low-income families with demonstrated need.
Here is a clarification worth its weight in gold: the percentage and the average are not multiplied by each other. One says how many received aid; the other says how much those who did receive it got. They are two different questions with two different denominators.
Regarding loans: 28 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in academic year 2022-23, and the average among those who borrowed was $6,293 that year. Compared with 519 similar schools, Florida Atlantic is on the low side — seven out of ten of those schools, or more, had a higher proportion of students with debt.
But there is something this number does not include: Parent PLUS loans signed by parents, bank or credit-card debt, or the total debt with which a student graduates after several years. That number simply is not in this report. What you can do is this: do not rule out or commit to the school until you have your own child’s financial-aid letter in writing. That percentage describes other families, not yours.
As payment options, the institution reports a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan.
Campus life, format, and support
Florida Atlantic does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 5,200 students, on or off campus. It is not required for all full-time, first-time students to live there — but that does not rule out a specific program requiring it. It also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest version. The existence of the option does not guarantee an available bed or an included price: ask in writing for the year’s cost, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
Regarding ROTC: the university reports an opportunity in two branches, Army and Air Force. Navy is not marked. Being reported does not mean the program is offered exactly on this campus — ask by name before building your child’s plan around this.
In athletics, Florida Atlantic competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The affiliation belongs to the school, not your child — if they are interested in competing, write directly to the coach for the sport and ask about roster space, division, and whether athletic scholarship aid is available.
In distance education, Florida Atlantic offers online courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the fall count, 17 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load at a distance, and 83 took at least one in-person course. The university also reports offering at least one complete program that can be taken entirely at a distance — but that does not confirm that one exists at the level or in the specific major your child is interested in. Confirm it directly.
The library operates with employed staff and annual spending above the government’s recorded threshold of $100,000. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that specific databases exist for your child’s major — ask by program name.
In general support, the institution reports: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon completing the program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military personnel, a student veterans organization, and a published disability-services page.
They stay, leave, graduate: the numbers that matter most
This is the heart of the question every family asks: if my child enters here, how likely are they to finish?
Let’s begin with retention — who remain enrolled or have already graduated one year after entering. Of 3,050 full-time students who entered in fall 2022, 84 out of every 100 met that criterion. Compared with 519 similar schools, that figure is in the upper part of the group. Part-time students from that same entering class had a different rate, 78 out of every 100 — they are different cohorts and should not be combined or compared as if they told the same story.
Now graduation. IPEDS tracked 2,750 students who entered in 2017, full time and for the first time. After six years, 1,769 had graduated here — 64 out of every 100. After four years, the figure drops to 50 out of every 100. Compared with 518 similar schools, Florida Atlantic is at or above the middle of the group.
It is worth looking at the remainder of that same cohort in detail, because the figures do not explain themselves: of the 2,750, 1,769 completed here, 654 transferred without completing and enrolled at another institution, 58 remained enrolled without finishing within the period, and 269 fell into the federal “no longer enrolled” category — which does not state the reason and may include people who did finish later, elsewhere, or at a later time. This count follows only those who entered for the first time, full time, seeking a bachelor’s degree. If your child enters as a transfer student or part time, this rate simply does not describe them — ask for the rate that applies to their group.
With a longer window of eight years, the picture broadens somewhat: of a cohort of 8,889 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including first-time students and those who already had postsecondary experience, 61 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school as of August 2023. Among students with a Pell Grant, the figure was nearly identical: 62 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar schools, it is at or above the middle of the group.
The rest of that cohort is distributed as follows: 22 out of every 100 appear without a degree from this institution under an indicator that does not allow a precise determination of how many remained enrolled exactly as of the cutoff, and 17 out of every 100 — 1,503 people out of the 8,889 — had unknown enrollment status, which does not mean they dropped out, only that the report could not determine where they were.
In summary: within this broad cohort, between 40 and 69 out of every 100 received a degree from this school within eight years, depending on how the complete range of data is read. The report does not explain why the others do not appear with one. Before deciding, ask directly about concrete supports and more recent results than these federal figures, which always arrive years late.
What you already know, and what remains yours to decide
Now you know, with the precision allowed by the federal record, what kind of university Florida Atlantic is, how it admits students, how much it costs in its two versions — the published price and the real price based on income — how it distributes aid, and what happens to students who enter, year after year, until they graduate, transfer, or disappear from the count.
None of this tells your child whether they will be happy there, whether they will find their people, or whether that specific major will take them where they want to go. That is not in any IPEDS report and never will be.
What you have now is one of the three pieces you need to build a real plan: what the university is and offers, according to its own official data. You still need to combine it with what your child wants and has built, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. From that combination — not from a single article or a single figure — comes the decision.
Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports from the United States Department of Education, from different years and cycles depending on the fact, as indicated throughout the text. Best College Aid does not represent Florida Atlantic University or any federal or state government agency.