Enrollment: 29869
Average SAT: 601.8
Average ACT: 25.9
Most Popular Majors: Criminal Justice/Safety Studies,English Language and Literature, General,Finance, General,
Regular Application Deadline: 01/21
Student Faculty Ratio: 20.5:1

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $4,212.00

Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges
Jock Schools
Lots of Beer
Party Schools

Students Say - Academics
Florida State University, "a major research university in Florida's capital city," provides students "with lots of opportunities for experimentation" while "making pivotal career decisions." Indeed, it's difficult to imagine a school that provides more options; FSU offers excellent programs in everything from business, psychology, and education to music, graphic art, and creative writing to meteorology, professional golf management, and exercise science. The school even has a circus program! As at most big state schools, "Lecture classes are large and can be intimidating," but "teachers are always willing to help outside of class," and "taking advantage of this help can make or break your grade." Professors "are hit-or-miss," although "in general they are very nice and helpful and try to learn everyone's name, even when the class is fairly large." Those seeking a more personal experience should shoot for the honors program, "where class sizes are small" and "they really encourage research." FSU works hard to stay up to date, building "state-of-the-art facilities" and embracing technologies that make it "as convenient as possible for students and professors to communicate and achieve success." Partner campuses "in London, Valencia, Florence, and Panama with a variety of other programs across the world" facilitate wonderful study-abroad opportunities. As one student sums up, "Overall, if you're looking for a school with endless possibilities and opportunities, FSU is the place to be."

Students Say - Campus Life
FSU is "known for our house parties, kegs, and bonfires," and students readily admit that there's "a lot of drinking and partying" both on campus and throughout the city of Tallahassee. They also insist that "people are able to stay out of that scene and still have a lot of fun." Just about everyone loves football, telling us that "There's nothing better than Tallahassee in the fall on game day! A stadium full of fans doing the chop will give you chills every time." The Greek scene "is big here," but "there are lots of different scenes, from Greek to Black Student Union to Catholic Student Union to the film school kids. There are all sorts of clubs and groups to get involved with, especially if you're interested in getting out there and doing community service." There's even "a surprisingly big arts community, so there are always concerts, art exhibits, and independent coffee shops to check out if you don't mind digging a little to find them." And students can also enjoy "hookah lounges, a great cinema" and "a Chili's on campus (always busy, but delicious!)." In short, "The amount of student activities, sports clubs, and organizations are endless due to FSU's size." And for an added bonus: "The beach is only an hour away."

Students Say - Student Body
There's a bit of everything for everyone, and there's nothing that you don't see on campus at FSU, where a student population of just less than 30,000 ensures a place for people of all types. Expect "a lot of southern hospitality," which basically centers on "making others feel welcome." The southern accent is also found in a vocal minority of conservative Christian students who "are into furthering their religious views within the school bounds" (one such student complained that the school had "a bias toward science and evolutionary thinking"). At the other end of the spectrum, "There are also a lot of vegetarian activists and recycling activists on campus." Lots of folks here "are in some sort of organization, probably multiple organizations. If they're not in a fraternity or sorority, they're probably in a religious group or something else."

University of Florida
University of Central Florida

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