Florida Atlantic University-Boca Raton

Florida Atlantic University also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic is a public university located in Boca Raton, Florida with five satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and in Fort Pierce at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. The University is part of the State University System of Florida and serves South Florida, which has a population of more than three million people and more than 100 miles of coastline. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity. It offers more than 170 bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs through 10 different colleges.

At FAU, there are more than 80 bachelor’s degree programs to choose from. If you earned AP credit or dual enrollment credits for college courses taken while in high school, FAU may accept your alternative credits. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 79% of first-time freshmen returned for their sophomore year in 2011, but the graduation rate was lower than the national average. Only 17% of full-time students who began studies in 2005 graduated by 2009, which is significantly lower than the national average of 40%.

 

As reported by the NCES in 2011, the student-to-faculty ratio is 20:1, higher than the national average of 16:1. A significant number of FAU classes are taught by graduate teaching assistants, as is the case at many high-activity research universities. The National Center for Educational Statistics reported that graduate students constituted 39% of the instructional faculty in 2011. It is estimated that the annual cost of attendance for a full-time Florida resident was $19,814 during 2011-12, while out-of-state students paid $31,322. These are higher than average for 4-year public universities, but your total cost of attendance can vary depending on your living arrangements. Despite this, students who graduated in 2011 had an average student debt of $18,578, which was lower than the national average of $26,660. Financial aid was offered to 79% of undergraduates in 2011, according to the College Board, and the average financial aid package for freshmen was $9,954. The College Board also reports that only 11% of students had their full financial need met through student aid in 2011.

 

Both the NCES and the College Board group all of FAU’s campuses together when publishing statistics on retention, tuition, faculty, and graduation, but it’s important to note that not all programs are available at all campuses. While Boca Raton is the main campus, other campuses have some unique programs or options. You can apply for admission online, and there is a $30 application fee. For incoming freshmen, the average GPA ranged between 3.35 and 3.95. The middle 50% of incoming students had an ACT composite score ranging from 23-27, and the total SAT scores for the middle 50% ranged from 1560-1770. Some majors and colleges have additional requirements.

FAU has rolling admissions, and notification of acceptance is usually about 6-8 weeks after the school receives your completed application. You can apply for financial aid by filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the deadline for which is usually March 1. Many different scholarships are available for new and returning students. Some scholarships are awarded to new students by the admissions office, and the deadline for these is usually January 15.

 

The main campus in Boca Raton offers seven options for campus housing and multiple university dining options. The student body is diverse, with 46% of students classified as international or a minority by the university. The campus offers a recreation and fitness center, an arena, tennis courts, an aquatic center, and a movie complex with four theaters. Boca Raton is a small town; however, its downtown area offers plenty of activity for residents, including musical events, Broadway revues, and festivals.

Moreover, Florida Atlantic University has fraternities and sororities.Other popular student organizations at Florida Atlantic University include Dive Club, Pre-Law Society, Submarine Club and American Criminal Justice Society. In addition, it has a thriving American Society of Civil Engineers. In fact, more students participate in American Society of Civil Engineers than any other on-campus activity. The Florida Atlantic University community comes together each year for Homecoming, Fall Festival and Festival of Nations.

 

Interested students can also join Florida Atlantic University’s sports program, which offers a variety of sports options. In college sports, intercollegiate athletics are the highest tier, and the competition can be fierce. University intercollegiate teams compete against teams from other universities and are regulated by the NCAA. Depending on the size of the university, funding, and level of competition, a sports team will be divided into divisions. Intercollegiate teams are classified as Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest. Unlike intercollegiate sports, club sports are not regulated by the NCAA although they provide a great alternative for students without an interest in competing on a team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university. Intramural sports are the most casual and informal and are often free and require very little time commitment.

 

There are trained security officers on duty 24 hours a day at Florida Atlantic University. The Florida Atlantic University campus has emergency telephones and alarms that students may use at any time of day or night. There are also student security patrols at the school. Additionally, late-night transportation or safety escorts are available for students. While FAU is largely a commuter campus, according to the College Board, and not every location has campus housing, you should check with the location that you plan to attend but if that campus has housing it surely is secure, and key cards are required to access the dorms. The Jupiter campus, for instance, has two residence halls, and FAU hosts a web page for off campus rental housing.

 

In 2021, Florida Atlantic University was classified as being amongst the best engineering schools at the undergraduate and graduate level by the US News and World Report, with a rank of no. 162 for undergraduate engineering and no. 154-202 for graduate engineering.