Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1851, it is the oldest continuous site of higher education in the state of Florida. The university is classified as an R1 doctoral university with “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. It comprises 16 separate colleges and more than 110 centers, facilities, labs and institutes that offer more than 360 programs of study.
The institution’s official name is often shortened to simply “Florida State”, while its athletic teams take on the moniker “Seminoles”. In 2019, FSU received $515 million in research funding from various sources—the fourth highest amongst all public universities in the United States. The 2019 budget also included $64 million for financial aid and $128 million for student services.
In total, there are about 41,000 students enrolled at FSU—38,000 undergraduate students and 3,000 graduate students from all 50 states and over 130 countries. The school has a 70 percent four-year graduation rate (highest ever), which has increased 10 percentage points since 2000; 67 percent of freshmen return for their sophomore year (second highest ever). For first-time undergraduates who begin taking classes during summer or fall semesters, 78 percent graduate within six years—the national average is 59 percent.
FSU faculty members have been awarded five Nobel Prizes: two in Physics (Paul A. Miki in 1965 and John Cady in 1986), one in Chemistry (Ronald Breslow in 2010), one in Economics (Vernon Lomax Smith in 1974), and one shared prize between Psychology professors Richard Axel and Linda Buck for their work on olfactory receptors (2004). Other notable alumni include U.S Senators Bill Nelsonand Marco Rubio; governors Jeb Bushand Rick Scott; astronaut Story Musgrave; actors Brie Larsonand Danny Glover; baseball player Jeffrey Leonard; football players Deion Sandersand Derrick Brooks; basketball player Sam Cassell; golfer Brooks Koepka; mixed martial artist Rashad Evans; softball player Jessica van der Linden ; tennis player Mike Bryan ; track & field athlete Walter Dix ; writer Carl Hiaasen ; journalist Bob Schieffer ; politician Andrew Gillum ; news anchor Shep Smith among others