Home › Colleges
ACC

Florida State University: What It's Like and Who Thrives There

By the Lens team · Updated October 20, 2026

Campus of Florida State University
Photo: Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
See Florida State University in the College Filter Similar colleges

Florida State University (FSU) is a large public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, with about 32,200 undergraduates. It admitted 23.8% of applicants for fall 2025. For Florida residents, its published tuition is the lowest in the ACC.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition at Florida State

Florida State charges $5,656 a year in published tuition and fees for Florida residents, about $2,828 a semester, and $18,786 a year for students from other states, about $9,393 a semester, a difference of $13,130. About 20% of first-year students came from out of state. You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Compare out-of-state tuition at 100 public universities →

What makes Florida State different

  • A low in-state price. Florida residents pay about $5,700 a year in tuition and fees, before any aid.
  • In the state capital. Tallahassee offers internships in government, law and policy.
  • Film and the arts. Its College of Motion Picture Arts and arts programs sit alongside large majors in psychology, finance and political science.

What Florida State students study

The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): psychology (760), finance (627), marketing (473), political science (463), criminal justice (444) and biology (414). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.

You may thrive at Florida State if…

  • You're a Florida resident looking for a big university at a low price.
  • You're interested in psychology, business, criminology, political science or film.
  • You want a lively campus in a capital city.

Worth asking about

  • How do students get into limited-access majors?
  • How does the film school's admission work?

How Florida State compares with the other ACC schools

Florida State is one of the ACC's more selective publics and its lowest-priced for in-state students. See how the 18 ACC schools differ.

FAQ

What is Florida State's acceptance rate? 23.8% for fall 2025: 20,364 of 85,469 first-year applicants were admitted, according to its 2025–26 Fact Book (summer and fall 2025 first-time students). Source For fall 2024 it was 24.2%.

What is Florida State's out-of-state acceptance rate? Federal data doesn't separate acceptance rates for in-state and out-of-state applicants. Florida State admitted 23.8% of all applicants for fall 2025, and 20% of first-year students came from out of state. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,786 a year before aid; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships. Some universities publish their own in-state and out-of-state figures, so it's worth asking the Florida State admissions office.

What is Florida State known for? Its low in-state cost, its Tallahassee setting and programs from business to film.

How much does Florida State cost? Published tuition and fees are $5,656 a year in-state and $18,786 out-of-state, before any aid.

How much is FSU tuition per semester? About $2,828 a semester for Florida residents and $9,393 for out-of-state students, based on published yearly tuition and fees of $5,656 and $18,786 before aid.

Is FSU an R1 university? Yes. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, Florida State University is an R1 university, the group with the highest research spending and doctoral degrees. What R1 means →

How many students go to FSU? About 32,200 undergraduates (fall 2024).

Not sure which major to explore first?

Lens's Major Ideas suggest which areas may suit your interests and strengths. Start with Lens →

Explore colleges your way.

Search and filter 850 colleges by what matters to you: cost at your rate, size, setting, majors, sports and more. Free, and no account needed to look.

Explore colleges →