Florida's only public HBCU, founded 1887, with 9,313 students and strong programs in pharmacy, engineering, and law.
FAMU offers 100 degree programs across 14 colleges and schools, including the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, College of Law, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. The university has nine fully funded endowed eminent-scholars chairs distributed across multiple schools. FAMU's law school is one of five in the US where women outnumber men by a 2:1 ratio. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and classified as an R2 Doctoral University with high research activity.
The main campus spans 422 acres in Tallahassee, just south of the State Capitol. FAMU also operates a law school campus in Orlando and a Research and Development Center in Crestview. The university provides on-campus housing in traditional residence halls (FAMU Towers, FAMU Village, Venom Landing, Sampson Hall, Young Hall) and non-traditional facilities (Palmetto South, Phase III, Rattler Pointe). Campus dining is managed by Metz Culinary Management, offering customizable meal plans. Student life includes the renowned Marching 100 band, active student government, ROTC programs, and numerous student organizations. Athletics compete in NCAA Division I FCS as members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
The fall 2022 incoming freshman class averaged a 3.8 high school GPA, 1019 SAT score, and 22 ACT score. The 2022 undergraduate admission rate was 31.9%. FAMU offers transfer pathways through its Ignite Transfer Program. The student body is 89% Black, 5% Hispanic, 3% White, and 2% multiracial; 58% are low-income students. International and domestic students are welcome to apply.
FAMU's six-year graduation rate is 55% (2020). The university ranked 152nd nationally and 91st among public universities in the 2024 US News rankings, placing first among public HBCUs and third overall among HBCUs. It was named 21st in the Top Performers in Social Mobility category. Annual research funding totals $44.5 million, with the largest concentrations in agriculture and health sciences; the College of Pharmacy alone commands $20.2 million in research funding. The National Science Foundation ranked FAMU 216th nationally and 2nd among HBCUs for research and development expenditures (2017).