College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Florida Polytechnic University

FLSmall public institution · Overall rank #282 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Florida Polytechnic University #282 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Florida Polytechnic University is a public university in Lakeland, Florida, built around engineering and computing. The degree mix is concentrated in Engineering and Computer & Information Sciences, and the strongest is affordability, which is among the highest we track.

Graduates earn above the median at comparable schools, and most are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The highest-earning program, Computer Engineering, pays more than the largest program with published earnings, Mechanical Engineering, so the return a student sees depends on the field they choose.

What families pay on average after aid is below the median at comparable schools, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is tight. Borrowers who finish carry less federal debt than graduates of comparable schools.

The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. The campus is small and concentrated, and the page cannot tell you what it is like to study outside of engineering and computing.

Florida Polytechnic University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
57.5%
Six-year completion[2]
54.9%
Four-year earnings[3]
$86,952

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$11,316
Median student debt[4]
$14,250
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$8,985

Florida Polytechnic University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

With 1,689 undergraduates, Florida Polytechnic University is a public university in Lakeland, Florida. Azimuth places the university in the upper fifth among nonprofit four-year institutions (81st percentile).

Admission runs at 57.5% for Florida Polytechnic University, a rate measured against a median of 83.4% at comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 74.8% continue into a second year, compared with a peer median of 73.4%.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time, full-time cohort stands at 54.9%, against a peer median of 43.5% for comparable institutions. An estimated 18.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so that rate covers only the first-time, full-time cohort.

Affordability is the strongest pillar (96th percentile), while access is the weakest (52nd percentile). Return and mobility sit between them, at the 67th and 61st percentiles respectively. The four pillars span a wide range.

Affordability is the pillar that stands out most clearly at Florida Polytechnic University, sitting at the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is in the 67th percentile and mobility in the 61st percentile, both solidly in the upper half of the distribution.

Access is the weakest of the four, at the 52nd percentile. The shape is a public university where the cost case is the headline, and the other three pillars cluster closer together.

At Florida Polytechnic University, 32.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. That share is the core measure of financial access.

Azimuth ranks the university #710 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access measures financial reach across the income distribution.

That standing rests on the Pell share, the main federal indicator of financial access at the undergraduate level. Azimuth ranks the university #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Mobility captures whether graduates move up the economic ladder. It combines access with the earnings that federally aided graduates report four years after completing a degree.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Florida Polytechnic University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#282

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 61
Access & reach
National percentile: 52
Affordability
National percentile: 96
Return on investment
National percentile: 67

01 / Florida Polytechnic University briefing

Florida Polytechnic University cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at Florida Polytechnic University is $21,817. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $4,940 and on-campus food and housing of $14,482 for the 2025-26 academic year.

Out-of-state students face a published tuition of $21,005. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $11,853, which is $969 below the $12,822 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #57 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance at Florida Polytechnic University is $21,817. Azimuth ranks the university #57 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $8,819, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,316, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $16,423. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,604.

Aid covers about 46% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall to $11,853. That is $969 below the $12,822 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $14,250 in federal student loans, which is $5,250 below the $19,500 peer median. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $8,985.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $162 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$11,316

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Florida Polytechnic University

Federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree at Florida Polytechnic University leave with a median of $14,250 in federal student debt. That is $5,250 below the $19,500 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that among 198 bachelor's graduates who started as first-time students, the average cumulative debt per borrower from any source was $20,731. The federal average was $20,605, and no graduates held private loans.

For a separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $8,985.

Median earnings for federally aided graduates of Florida Polytechnic University who are working and not enrolled reach $86,952 four years after completion. This is $33,836 above the median of $53,116 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that earnings level is in the 93rd percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $65,631 on the downside to $107,009 on the upside, with a typical estimate of $86,952.

Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $14,250 in federal loans, $5,250 below the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $162 a month. The earnings and debt pictures point the same way.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $8,985. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $162 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$14,250
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$8,985

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$162/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$114/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Florida Polytechnic University briefing

Florida Polytechnic University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $86,952. That is $33,836 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings figure sits in the 93rd percentile nationally.

The median earnings for Florida Polytechnic University graduates sit at $86,952 four years after completion, drawn from a cohort of 171 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that figure in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The typical earnings scenario of $86,952 coincides with the observed median, while the downside scenario is $65,631 and the upside scenario is $107,009. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates.

An estimated 20.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The remaining share is not observed.

Florida Polytechnic University graduates earn a median of $86,952 four years after completion, in the 93rd percentile nationally. That is $33,836 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #483 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's earnings are concentrated in a handful of technical fields.

The typical earnings scenario, estimated from the program mix, is $86,952, with a downside of $65,631 and an upside of $107,009. An estimated 20.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $65,631 on the downside to $107,009 on the upside, with $86,952 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates.

At the higher end, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $92,109 four years after completion, and Electrical Engineering graduates earn $90,086. The largest program with published earnings, Mechanical Engineering, sits lower at $70,314.

Affordability is the strongest pillar at Florida Polytechnic University, and the numbers bear that out. The average net price (cost after grants and scholarships) for first-time, full-time aid recipients is $11,853, which sits below the $12,822 median for comparable institutions.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $14,250 in federal student loans. That is $5,250 below the peer median of $19,500 for comparable institutions.

If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $162. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $8,985 in Parent PLUS loans.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Florida Polytechnic University briefing

Florida Polytechnic University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Florida Polytechnic University admits 57.5% of applicants. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is 83.4%, so the university is more selective than most of its peers.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
57.5%
25th percentile
1170
Median
1250
75th percentile
1340

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Florida Polytechnic University briefing

What are the largest majors at Florida Polytechnic University?[12]

Florida Polytechnic University is an engineering school, and the numbers bear that out. Engineering accounts for 46.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Computer & Information Sciences for another 42.3%.

Together they account for nearly nine in ten degrees awarded. The largest program with published earnings is Mechanical Engineering, with 45 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,314 four years after completion.

Computer Engineering follows with 39 degrees awarded, and completers earn $92,109 four years after completion. Electrical Engineering is smaller, with 16 degrees awarded and median earnings of $90,086.

The earnings range across the three programs is not trivial, and every one sits below the national median for its field.

Florida Polytechnic University is an engineering school, and the degree mix shows it. Engineering accounts for 46.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Computer & Information Sciences close behind at 42.3%.

Together they make up nearly nine in ten degrees. The largest program with published earnings is Mechanical Engineering, at 45 degrees awarded.

Its graduates earn a median of $70,314 four years after completion. Computer Engineering is the highest-earning program, with a median of $92,109 from 39 degrees awarded.

Electrical Engineering follows at $90,086 from 16 degrees awarded. Earnings data is available for 3 programs.

Florida Polytechnic University is a public university in Lakeland, Florida, where the degree mix is concentrated in two technical families. Engineering accounts for 46.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Computer & Information Sciences follows at 42.3%.

The university has 3 programs with published four-year earnings data, and the largest is Mechanical Engineering with 45 degrees awarded, followed by Computer Engineering at 39 degrees and Electrical Engineering at 16 degrees. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where graduates earn a median of $92,109 four years after completion.

Electrical Engineering is next at $90,086. Mechanical Engineering, the largest program, reports median earnings of $70,314.

The pattern is tight: a small set of engineering and computing programs, and earnings that are highest where computing is the focus. The highest-earning program is also the second-largest, so the earnings strength is not confined to a niche.

A student drawn to the largest department should know that its median earnings sit below those of the two computing programs.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Computer Science 91 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Mechanical Engineering 45 degrees awarded
$70,314
Computer Engineering 39 degrees awarded
$92,109
Data Analytics 17 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 16 degrees awarded
$90,086
Data Science 7 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Florida Polytechnic University briefing

What colleges are similar to Florida Polytechnic University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Florida Polytechnic University.

Admissions peerFlorida Institute of Technology57.7% admitted
Comparison with Florida Polytechnic University
MeasureFlorida Polytechnic UniversityFlorida Institute of Technology
Peer earnings · 4 years$86,952$90,403+$3,451 vs Florida Polytechnic University
Average annual net price$11,853$35,639+$23,786 vs Florida Polytechnic University · higher cost
Admission rate57.5%57.7%
Explore Florida Institute of Technology →
Higher-admission alternativeSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology79.9% admitted
Comparison with Florida Polytechnic University
MeasureFlorida Polytechnic UniversitySouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Peer earnings · 4 years$86,952$87,878+$926 vs Florida Polytechnic University
Average annual net price$11,853$20,183+$8,330 vs Florida Polytechnic University · higher cost
Admission rate57.5%79.9%
Nearby alternativeFlorida Institute of TechnologyNearby option · FL
Comparison with Florida Polytechnic University
MeasureFlorida Polytechnic UniversityFlorida Institute of Technology
Peer earnings · 4 years$86,952$90,403+$3,451 vs Florida Polytechnic University
Average annual net price$11,853$35,639+$23,786 vs Florida Polytechnic University · higher cost
Admission rate57.5%57.7%
Explore Florida Institute of Technology →
Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Florida$4,815 average net price
Comparison with Florida Polytechnic University
MeasureFlorida Polytechnic UniversityUniversity of Florida
Peer earnings · 4 years$86,952$77,321-$9,631 vs Florida Polytechnic University
Average annual net price$11,853$4,815-$7,038 vs Florida Polytechnic University · lower cost
Admission rate57.5%61.3%
Explore University of Florida →
Similar profileVirginia Military InstituteMatched across several measures
Comparison with Florida Polytechnic University
MeasureFlorida Polytechnic UniversityVirginia Military Institute
Peer earnings · 4 years$86,952$75,027-$11,925 vs Florida Polytechnic University
Average annual net price$11,853$17,113+$5,260 vs Florida Polytechnic University · higher cost
Admission rate57.5%71.3%
Explore Virginia Military Institute →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings