Address: 600 W College Ave, 32306 Tallahassee, Florida, United States
Arts and Sciences, Business, Criminology and Criminal Justice
Florida State University traces its beginnings to 1851, when the Florida Legislature provided for seminaries on either side of the Suwannee River. The one in Tallahassee, the West Florida Seminary, admitted women from 1858, later became a women’s institution as the Florida State College for Women, and was reorganised as coeducational Florida State University in 1947.
The main campus is in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital. A branch campus operates in Panama City, Florida, and study centres exist in London, Florence and Valencia, as well as in Panama City, Panama. The university reports 46,184 students for fall 2025.
Research facilities include the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory and the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute. Academic units range from engineering, operated jointly with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, to the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, the College of Motion Picture Arts and programmes in visual arts and dance.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Life Sciences, Marine Science, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Located in Florida’s capital. Strong programs in arts (film, theatre), sciences (National High Magnetic Field Laboratory affiliation), and business. Successful athletics programs.
Research:
A research university with strengths in high magnetic field science, materials science, oceanography, and public policy.
Famous Alumnis:
Burt Reynolds, Jim Morrison (also UCLA), Deion Sanders, Cheryl Hines, Richard Simmons
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
8000
Current students***:
45000
Foreign students***:
5%
Cumulative former students***:
350000
Pros
Strong arts and sciences programs, prominent athletics, located in a state capital with internship opportunities.
Cons
Large student population, Tallahassee is a smaller city than some other Florida university locations.
Best For
Students seeking a large public research university with strong programs in arts, sciences, or business, often valuing a traditional campus experience and successful college athletics.
University of South Florida is a public university in Tampa whose specialties include health sciences, engineering and marine science.
University of Central Florida, public and based in Orlando, covers sciences, business administration and health professions.
In South Carolina, University of South Carolina (Columbia) is a public institution with international business and public health among its fields.
University of Alabama, a public university in Tuscaloosa, lists business and communication among its specialties.
For a private contrast, University of Miami in Coral Gables offers arts and sciences, engineering, business and law.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Simon Fraser University in Canada is public and lists computing science and criminology, the latter close to FSU's criminology programme.
Lancaster University (United Kingdom) is a public institution covering business, environmental science and physics.
New Zealand's University of Auckland is public, with medicine and health sciences and engineering among its fields.
University of Wollongong, a public university in Australia, offers arts, society and business alongside engineering.
In Spain, University of Seville is a public university with literature, philology, geography and history among its specialties.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How did Florida State University start?
The Legislature authorised two seminaries in 1851, and the Tallahassee institution, the West Florida Seminary, is the ancestor of FSU. After a period as the Florida State College for Women it became coeducational as Florida State University in 1947.
Where does FSU have campuses?
The main campus is in Tallahassee. There is also a branch campus in Panama City, Florida, and an international campus in Panama City, Panama, plus study centres in London, Florence and Valencia.
How big is the student body?
The university gives a figure of 46,184 students, and Wikipedia records the same total for fall 2025.
Which research laboratories are linked to FSU?
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is based at the university, as is the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute. Both are listed among its research facilities by Britannica.
Is FSU's engineering college independent?
The engineering college is operated jointly with Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Students should check which institution awards the degree for each programme.
What creative or professional programmes does it offer?
Among its notable units are criminology and criminal justice, motion picture arts, and visual arts and dance.
What are FSU's teams called?
Athletic teams are known as the Seminoles. For fees and admission requirements, consult the official admissions and tuition pages, since costs differ for residents and non-residents.
Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Environmental Engineering, Innovation, Marketing, User-Centered Design
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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