Academic
As of 2021, the university’s student body consists of 24,663 undergraduates, 3,380 graduate students, 440 doctoral students, and 254 medical students. In 2021, the undergraduate student body consisted 61% ethnic minorities and includes students from more than 180 countries. Florida Atlantic has long ranked as the most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse institution in Florida’s State University System. U.S. News & World Report has ranked FAU the 27th most diverse university in the nation.[26][27] For the incoming freshman class of fall 2021, the acceptance rate was 60%.
The university has ten colleges which altogether offer over 180 different bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs: the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, College of Social Work and Criminal Justice, College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the Graduate College.
The university offers two honors options: the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College and a University Scholars Program. The Wilkes Honors College is located on the John D. MacArthur campus in Jupiter, Florida. It offers a liberal arts education in the platform of a public university, yet is comparable to a private liberal arts college. The Boca Raton campus houses the University Scholars Program, which offers special honors seminars, forums, courses, and advanced course substitution for freshmen.
The fall 2021 incoming freshmen profile for the middle 50% was a 3.73–4.33 high school GPA, a 23–29 ACT composite score, and a 1100–1270 SAT total score. Additional admission requirements are needed for the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the School of Architecture, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the College of Science.
The average class size at FAU for undergraduates is 33 students, and for graduate classes, 12 students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1. The top three undergraduate majors by enrollment are elementary education, accounting, and management, respectively. The top three graduate majors by enrollment are business administration, educational leadership, and accounting, respectively.[33] The average age for first-year students is 18; however, the average age for all undergraduates is 24 and the average age for graduate students is 33. The average 4-year graduation rate in 2021 was 47.5%.
Enrichment opportunities include internships, hands-on research, study abroad experiences, and 310 clubs and campus organizations. The Lifelong Learning Society operates programs that serve the educational interests of more than 19,000 senior citizens by providing classes focusing on subjects of specific interest, and audit options for regular university classes. Under the university’s Commercial Music Program, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings was created in 2002, enabling students to work in all creative and business aspects of the music industry.
This program generated music that landed a Top 10 spot on the Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales Chart during its first week of release. The university provides financial education using its computer lab. A second lab provides full audio/visual connectivity and additional workstations. Florida Atlantic allows local financial businesses to use its computer labs and facilities for training.
Rankings
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Forbes | 193 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 189 (tie) |
| Washington Monthly | 46 |
| WSJ/College Pulse | 183 |
| Global | |
| QS | 1,201–1,400 |
| THE | 801–1,000 |
| U.S. News & World Report | 1,067 (tie) |
| National Program Rankings (as of 2024) |
|
|---|---|
| Biological Sciences | 203 (tie) |
| Business | Unranked |
| Chemistry | 201 (tie) |
| Computer Science | 148 (tie) |
| Earth Sciences | 149 (tie) |
| Education | 107 (tie) |
| Engineering | 130 (tie) |
| Fine Arts | 178 (tie) |
| Mathematics | 160 (tie) |
| Medicine: Primary Care | Tier 3 |
| Medicine: Research | Tier 3 |
| Nursing: Doctorate | 78 (tie) |
| Nursing: Master’s | 41 (tie) |
| Physics | 167 (tie) |
| Psychology | 185 (tie) |
| Public Affairs | 76 (tie) |
| Rehabilitation Counseling | 36 (tie) |
| Social Work | 83 (tie) |
| Speech-Language Pathology | 193 (tie) |
For 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida Atlantic University as the 103th best public university in the United States, and 189th overall among all national universities, public and private.
For 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida Atlantic University as the 112th best public university in the United States, and 209th overall among all national universities, public and private.
In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked the undergraduate nursing, business, and engineering programs 93rd, 164th, and 165th nationally, respectively.
The university was named one of the “Best Southeastern Colleges” in the United States by the Princeton Review for 2023.
In 2023, Florida Atlantic was ranked 46th in the nation by Washington Monthly in their 2023 National University Rankings.