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Florida Supreme Court 2022Photo: Urbantallahassee · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Tallahassee

Tallahassee is a college town: 25 of every 100 residents are students

Florida State University (37,910 students on campus) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (9,155) are inside the city. Across Florida, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town25% of residents are studentsFlorida State UniversityFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee State College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Tallahassee. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
54,617 students on campus
Nearest college
2.6 mi
Florida State
Residents in college
25%
Above FL (6%)
Nearest community college
5.2 mi
Tallahassee State College · $2,026 tuition
Nearest public university
2.6 mi
Florida State · $5,656 in-state
Students on campus in Tallahassee
54,617
next to 204,902 residents

What stands out about college in Tallahassee

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town25 of every 100 Tallahassee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.Three colleges within 5.2 milesFlorida State University admits 24% of applicants; Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University admits 21%. Together they have 54,617 students on campus.In-state price at Florida StateLiving in Florida, Florida State University charges $5,656 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,786. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 5.2 miles awayTallahassee State College in Tallahassee: tuition and fees $2,026 a year for Florida residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Tallahassee

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

25 of every 100 Tallahassee residents are in college (FL: 6).

54,617students on campus at Tallahassee’s 3 colleges, next to 204,902 residents (dorm students count as residents)
36,981college students live in Tallahassee households rather than dorms
28.2median age · FL 42.6
54%of residents are women · FL 51% (±0.4 points)
59%of homes rented · FL 32%
$1,293median rent · 23% below the state
TallahasseeTallahassee, FL
Cost of living$1,293/mo median rentC−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIDHealthCDC estimatesBJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundB−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Tallahassee’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income B−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 23.5% of Tallahassee residents are below the poverty line, 16.3% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 2 points either way). 51% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (25% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Tallahassee’s median age is 28.2 (Florida 42.6), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Tallahassee

All 3 are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Tallahassee.

5 mi10 mi15 miFlorida StateFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee
University or collegeCommunity college
Florida State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 37,910 on campus · In Tallahassee24%admitted$11knet price86%graduate$62kearningsFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 9,155 on campus · In Tallahassee21%admitted$14knet price53%graduate$44kearningsTallahassee State CollegeCommunity college · Public · 7,552 on campus · In Tallahassee$8knet price38%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $2,026 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Tallahassee’s median household income ($57,409) falls.

Tallahassee State CollegeIn Tallahassee · sticker $13,378 · tuition $2,026$8,901a year
Florida State UniversityIn Tallahassee · sticker $25,720$10,496a year
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityIn Tallahassee · sticker $23,970$15,269a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Tallahassee: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Florida StateFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityTallahassee State College
Florida State University86% graduate$62k earnings$18k typical debt
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University53% graduate$44k earnings$24k typical debt
Tallahassee State College38% graduate$38k earnings$8k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Tallahassee

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Tallahassee’s 3 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 18%Liberal arts 14%Health professions 11%Social sciences 8%Biology 6%Public safety 6%Everything else 37%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralFlorida State University · 879 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management ServicesFlorida State University · 703 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
MarketingFlorida State University · 649 graduates a year
$85k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsFlorida State University · 554 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Political Science and GovernmentFlorida State University · 421 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralFlorida State University · 376 graduates a year
$94k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralFlorida State University · 357 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
English Language and Literature, GeneralFlorida State University · 295 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Tallahassee

Is Tallahassee a college town?

Yes. 25 of every 100 Tallahassee residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Florida. Florida State University has 37,910 students on campus, next to 204,902 residents.

What colleges are in Tallahassee?

Florida State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and Tallahassee State College are inside the city.

Why is Tallahassee’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 23.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 16.3% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 2 points).

What is the closest community college to Tallahassee, and what does it cost?

Tallahassee State College in Tallahassee, 5.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $2,026 a year for Florida residents; the federal net price, $7,781, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Florida State University?

Florida State University admitted 24% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,270–1,410 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Tallahassee. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →