Undergraduate Admissions

How to Apply as a Freshman

Become a Florida Atlantic Owl

When you become a Florida Atlantic student, you gain wings to soar to your highest potential. Find your passion among more than 170 programs, make lifelong friends, connect with some of our 200,000 alumni and enjoy all the extracurricular activities – from sports to clubs.


If you’re a high school senior (or high school graduate with fewer than 11 college credits), you qualify as a freshman applicant at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Get everything you need to know about applying for admission below.

Steps to Apply

Step 1

Complete and submit the online application and pay the non-refundable $30 application fee.

Step 2

Submit your Self-reported Transcript and Academic Record (STARS).*

Step 3

Self-report your SAT/ACT/CLT test scores.**

See Admissions Requirements

* Already graduated from high school and are applying to FAU as a first-year student? Submit your official high school transcript instead of STARS.

**  FAU is subject to Florida Board of Governors admissions regulation 6.002, which requires first-year students seeking admission to submit an ACT, CLT, or SAT test score. Nursing applicants and applicants who have already graduated from high school must order official test scores to be sent directly from the testing agency to FAU

Freshman Application Deadlines

Mark your calendars!

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Summer / Fall Application Deadline

March 13
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Summer / Fall Deposit Deadline

May 1
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Spring Application Deadline

Sept. 15
See All Important Dates

Successful Student Profile

Who’s a typical FAU student? While we can’t point to one person, you can get a picture of an average Owl. They’re usually from one of five states (but they come from all over the country and the world), and they generally score well on standardized tests.

See the map and the charts to get an idea of what your freshman class will look like – and if you’ll fit in.

Meet Our Current Students
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Fast Facts

A few FAU bragging rights
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#100

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#159

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#25

Pell Grant Graduation Rate
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Your Florida Atlantic Journey

Have you already applied to FAU? We’re excited to possibly welcome you as a new student! If you’re curious about your application status, log into our Future Owl Portal.
Admitted already? Congratulations! Get ready for your next steps, including accessing your OwlDone account.
See Application Status
Already Admitted? Log in to Owldone

Take a Look Around Florida Atlantic University

Explore all six of our campuses before setting foot here. View our labs, classrooms, campus grounds, residence halls and athletic facilities. It’s almost as good as being here in real life!

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at Florida Atlantic

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Frequently Asked Questions

You can apply to Florida Atlantic starting on August 1 before your 12th grade year.

Yes. First-time-in-college (freshman) students may apply for Fall or Summer using the Common App OR the FAU Online Application. Students should only submit one application.

Spring applicants must apply using the FAU Online Application, not the Common App.

Applicants interested in Florida Atlantic's Wilkes Honors College in Jupiter should apply using the Wilkes Honors College Common App.
For more info, view application steps.

Florida Atlantic offers Early Action.

If you believe you're eligible for an application fee waiver, please coordinate with your school counselor to submit it on your behalf. Fee waivers may be issued through organizations such as the SAT, SCOIR, NACAC, ACT or directly by your school counselor.

Please note that universities do not provide fee waivers directly. Please contact your school counselor for assistance. If you work with your counselor and have a waiver to send, it can be completed and sent as a scanned PDF to admissions@fau.edu.

You can only select one major on your application. If you are accepted to Florida Atlantic and would like to add another major and/or a minor, you may speak with an Academic Advisor during your onboarding process about the possibility of adding another major and/or a minor.

If you have earned your college credits (including an AA) while in high school through AP, AICE, IB or Dual Enrollment, you should apply as an incoming first-year student.

If you are accepted, you will be placed in the appropriate courses. If you have completed 12 or more college credits after graduating from high school, you should apply as a transfer student.

The Wilkes Honors College of Florida Atlantic is a highly selective, all-honors college located on our Jupiter campus. Wilkes Honors College students benefit from an average class size of 16 students, personal attention from faculty, and exceptional opportunities for experiential learning and research.

Many students participate in internships at the world-renowned scientific institutes on the Jupiter campus, including the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience and the FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute. The Boca Raton campus is Florida Atlantic’s main campus, which provides a dynamic learning environment for more than 70% of our 30,000 students.

Located just 1.8 miles from the beach, this campus features everything you’d expect from a modern university: suite-style housing, Division 1 athletics, brand-new recreational facilities, and more. High-achieving students on the Boca Raton campus are invited to join the University Honors Program, which offers advanced Honors seminars, small class sizes, and special advising and registration.

If you're interested in both the Wilkes Honors College and the Boca Raton campus, apply directly to the Wilkes Honors College through the Common App. If admitted, you’ll also be accepted to the Boca Raton campus. If not admitted to the Wilkes Honors College, your application will automatically be reviewed by the Boca Raton campus admissions team for consideration.

We love visitors, and offer a variety of ways for prospective students and families to visit campus, including:
• A virtual tour, which offers views of classrooms, laboratories, residence halls, and more
• In-person tours, which are offered Monday through Friday and on select Saturdays; advance registration is required
The main Boca Raton campus is located at 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33431. Tours begin at the Student Support Services Building (SU-80).

Contact the Admissions Office at 561-297-3040 or visit@fau.edu for any visit-related questions. Feel free to explore our campus with our campus map if you visit campus when tours are not available.

Visiting from out of town? View local accommodations.

Many student residents receive financial aid. These awards are intended to first provide coverage for tuition and student fees. Any remaining dollars may be applied to University Housing. However, in order for students to take advantage of financial aid dollars being automatically applied to their Housing charges, three steps must be completed:
1. Financial aid must first have been awarded.

2. The student must have signed an acceptance letter for all awards.

3. The acceptance letter must have been returned to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

If the total amount of financial aid awarded to the student DOES exceed tuition and other fees, and if sufficient dollars are available to cover housing and dining charges, the remaining dollars may be applied to other FAU charges.

If there is only partial financial aid remaining after tuition and fees have been paid by financial aid, the student is required to pay in full all remaining housing and dining charges not covered by financial aid prior to moving into their assigned space. If the total amounts of financial aid awarded to the student DOES NOT exceed tuition and other fees, the student must make payment of all remaining housing and dining charges prior to moving into their assigned space.

Students who have pending financial aid awards will be required to pay in full for all housing and dining fees and then may “reimburse” themselves when financial aid is awarded and distributed during the semester.

Applicants are reviewed for their high school GPA, course selection, performance in academic core courses and their standardized test scores. In 2025, the middle 50% of first-year students who were admitted to FAU had a GPA between 3.68 and 4.31 (on a 5-point scale, recalculated based on academic core courses), SAT scores between 1090 and 1280, ACT scores from 22 to 27 or CLT scores between 72 and 90. If you’re applying to a specific program, you might also need to audition or submit a portfolio.

Read more about FAU admissions requirements.

The majority of FAU 2024 graduates (70%) were employed in the fall of 2024. Our graduates report that they earn an average starting salary of $56,925. Our career center prepares students for their futures through career coaching services that cover everything from assessments to interviewing skills to internships. We also hold career fairs throughout the year.

Learn more about FAU’s Career Center.

Our Boca Raton campus is just 1.8 miles from the beach, and our five other campuses offer easy beach access or city living. Our students can join more than 400 clubs and organizations, attend Division I sport events, live in apartment-like housing on campus and participate in activities from yoga to lectures.

Discover the entire FAU student experience.
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