Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #280 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $86,952, placing Florida Polytechnic University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #494 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Florida Polytechnic University's engineering-focused curriculum translates directly into strong early-career earnings, placing the university among the higher-performing institutions in the Azimuth coverage set for median graduate pay. Its return on investment ranking reflects a combination of competitive median earnings and a public-tuition cost structure that keeps the net price accessible relative to the outcomes delivered.
Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #280 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Lakeland, FL, Florida Polytechnic University enrolls roughly 1,689 undergraduates. Retention stands at 74.8% and the six-year graduation rate is 54.9%, reflecting a student body that largely completes what it starts. Where Florida Polytechnic University performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #494 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median four-year earnings of $86,952, a figure driven by the university's deep concentration in Engineering — with Engineering accounting for 46% of degrees — fields that connect directly to Florida's growing technology and advanced manufacturing sectors. That program focus produces earnings beyond expectations that outpace what comparable institutions achieve with similar student populations. Access and affordability provide important context for the composite. Florida Polytechnic University admits roughly 57.5% of applicants, and 32.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants — a relatively narrow low-income share that reflects both the institution's focused program mix and the academic preparation it requires. Affordability sits in the 96.1 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and access sits in the 51.3 percentile, both pulling the composite below what the return rank alone would suggest. Mobility sits in the 61.5 percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, anchored by the strong earnings outcomes that engineering and technology graduates carry into the workforce.
Florida Polytechnic University's published cost of attendance is $21,817. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public-university tuition structure: low-income families pay approximately $8,819, middle-income families pay around $11,316, and higher-income families pay approximately $16,423. Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #57 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Florida Polytechnic's engineering focus shapes both its cost structure and its aid landscape. As a specialized public institution, the university offers need-based financial aid through federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state programs. The institution's mission to serve engineering and applied-science students means aid packages are calibrated around the career outcomes those fields support — graduates typically move into well-paying technical roles where debt service aligns with early-career earnings capacity. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $14,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $8,985; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $86,952, median federal debt of $14,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $161 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Florida Polytechnic University is a strong fit for students drawn to engineering, computer science, and applied STEM fields who want a focused, career-oriented public university in FL with a clear path to solid early-career earnings. Graduates earn median $86,952 four years after enrollment, placing Florida Polytechnic University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — a reflection of the university's tight program focus on Engineering and technology fields that align directly with high-demand labor markets. Florida Polytechnic University enrolls a meaningful share of Pell-eligible students — 32.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants — and its net price structure and median student debt of $14,250 make it a realistic option for cost-sensitive families who still want strong financial returns after graduation. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program portfolio is deliberately concentrated in Engineering and related technical disciplines, so students whose interests fall outside STEM will find limited options here. Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #494 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 66.7 percentile — a signal that resonates most for students who plan to enter engineering, computing, or applied science careers directly after completing their degree.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
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This is the Florida Polytechnic University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Computer Engineering
39 graduates
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
16 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
45 graduates
Florida Polytechnic University's program mix is defined almost entirely by Engineering — a focused, technically oriented portfolio that reflects the university's identity as a specialized polytechnic institution in Lakeland, Florida. The five most-enrolled programs are Computer Science (91 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (45 graduates), Computer Engineering (39 graduates), Data Analytics (17 graduates), and Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (16 graduates), all concentrated within engineering and applied computing fields.
This concentration — with Engineering accounting for 46% of graduates — makes Florida Polytechnic University one of the most program-focused institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. The strongest-ranked programs by earnings cluster in computer and electrical engineering.
Azimuth ranks Computer Engineering #47 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with a cohort of 39 graduates earning median earnings of $92,109. Azimuth ranks Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering #145 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 16 graduates earning median earnings of $90,086.
Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #229 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 45 graduates earning median earnings of $70,314. Azimuth ranks Mechanical Engineering #229 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $70,314.
These are high-mobility, direct-to-workforce programs where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes rather than a pre-graduate-school waypoint. Computer Engineering and Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering follow a similar pattern — graduates from these fields enter technology and engineering roles directly, and the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) framework places both families in sectors with sustained national hiring demand.
For readers evaluating program-level rankings, [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) explains the methodology behind the figures cited here.
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Florida Polytechnic University's published cost of attendance is $21,817. Net price by income band reflects the institution's public-university tuition structure: low-income families pay approximately $8,819, middle-income families pay around $11,316, and higher-income families pay approximately $16,423.
Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #57 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Florida Polytechnic's engineering focus shapes both its cost structure and its aid landscape. As a specialized public institution, the university offers need-based financial aid through federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans) and state programs.
The institution's mission to serve engineering and applied-science students means aid packages are calibrated around the career outcomes those fields support — graduates typically move into well-paying technical roles where debt service aligns with early-career earnings capacity. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $14,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $8,985; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.
For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $86,952, median federal debt of $14,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $161 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $86,952, placing Florida Polytechnic University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $52,536 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band), reflecting Florida Polytechnic University's concentrated focus on engineering and applied technology fields where employer demand and starting salaries are consistently strong.
Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #494 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates also [earn about more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university among the stronger performers for earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) in the Azimuth coverage set.
The earnings pattern at Florida Polytechnic University reflects a tightly focused degree portfolio anchored in Engineering, which accounts for 46% of graduates and drives the institution's above-average earnings profile. Computer Engineering stands out as the program combining the broadest graduate cohort with the strongest aggregate earnings contribution — a key anchor for the school's return story.
Mechanical Engineering, with 45 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $70,314, is ranked #229 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), at 0.8x the national benchmark for the field. Computer Engineering similarly delivers strong outcomes, with 39 graduates earning $92,109 and Azimuth ranking the program #47 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions at 0.8x the field benchmark.
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, with 16 graduates earning $90,086, rounds out the high-earning cluster, ranked #145 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions at 0.9x its benchmark — a pattern consistent with FL's growing technology and engineering labor market.
