Florida Tech Makes The Grade

Florida Institute of Technology, which prefers to go by Florida Tech, was founded by NASA scientists in 1958. It is located on the Florida “Space Coast” and is four miles from the beach. Florida Tech is an R2 research institution.

Florida Tech Academics

Florida Tech describes itself as having a hands-on project learning environment. There are four colleges at Florida Tech:

College of Aeronautics
Bisk College of Business
College of Engineering & Science
College of Psychology & Liberal Arts

Florida Tech is a STEM-heavy university. Seventy-five percent of the students are in the Engineering and Science college.

Maker lab at Florida Tech — "Maker" Space

Popular majors at Florida Tech include:

Aviation
Aerospace engineering
Computer science
Marine biology

Florida Tech has an honors college. Admission to the honors college is typically invitation-based. Honors classes are typically more conceptual in nature than other classes. Students in the honors college have some flexibility regarding the number of honors classes they choose to take, but I understand that they will likely need to take nine.

Florida Tech has a few unique offerings for students who plan to pursue professional degrees. It offers a joint bachelor’s MBA program. In addition, Florida Tech offers an early admission arrangement with the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine through which students may apply as early as their Freshman year at Florida Tech. Florida Tech offers similar early admission programs to dental and pharmacy schools.

In addition to the campus in Melbourne, Florida, Florida Tech offers some programs online.

Florida Tech Admissions

One Florida Tech admissions representative told me he is particularly happy to admit students obtaining an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Florida Tech encourages its engineering and science college applicants to take their high school's most rigorous math and science curriculum. While students do not need Calculus to be admitted to Florida Tech, they will need Calculus to earn a bachelor’s degree in the College of Engineering & Science. One student mentioned taking a math-prep class at Florida Tech. Florida Tech offers that refresher course online during the summer. Florida Tech admits students by major, and students start classes in that major during their first semester. Florida Tech requires test scores.

Florida Tech Outcomes

Most Florida Tech Students have job offers before they graduate. I did not find that surprising since employers frequently visit the school to recruit students. Florida Tech is located in the fourth largest high-tech corridor in the U.S. Ninety-five percent of graduates pursuing employment found a job within six months. One of the employers is Space X.

Florida Tech Students

There are approximately 3,300 students at Florida Tech. About one-third of the students are from Florida, one-third are from elsewhere in the U.S., and one-third are international. For a STEM-heavy university, the gender balance is pretty good. Forty percent of the students are female, and 60 percent are male. Students indicate that women are well-represented in STEM classes. Around 20 percent of students belong to a fraternity or sorority.

For fun, students go to the beach, watch rocket launches, and visit Orlando. Florida Tech organizes shuttles to visit theme parks in Orlando. Florida Tech is close geographically and academically to Embry-Riddle. Florida Tech students describe themselves as “less Dungeons & Dragons” than Embry-Riddle. In addition, Florida Tech has less of an aerospace emphasis than Embry-Riddle.

Florida Tech Housing

Florida Tech has a first-year housing requirement and is building to accommodate the demand for upperclassmen. One student I spoke with told me he was sold on Florida Tech when he saw the dorms. Apartments at Columbia Village are available to Freshmen, and each student has his own bedroom.

Florida Tech Affordability

The tuition price at Florida Tech is $46K for STEM majors and $43K for other majors. The total cost of attendance is around $64K. Florida Tech offers both merit and need-based grants. Ninety-seven percent of students receive some form of financial aid. Florida residents can learn more about state-based financial aid here: https://www.educ8fit.com/post/save-money-on-florida-tuition

Educ8Fit Consulting

I work with students and families on the college and graduate school admission process. I help them navigate such complexities as merit aid and international admissions. Please contact Educ8Fit Consulting at either Jim@Educ8Fit.com or College Admission Counseling | Educ8fit Consulting | United States for a free 30-minute consultation.