Florida State University is celebrating its 175th anniversary, highlighting its growth and impact on the state.
• The university has achieved record-high student success metrics, including a 97% freshman retention rate and a 78% four-year graduation rate.
• FSU’s research expenditures have increased by 50% in five years, reaching a record $488 million.
Florida State University turns 175 this week. It’s a milestone rooted in a legacy that began in 1851, when the Florida Legislature acted on a simple but powerful idea: Education can change lives. That founding vision continues to define our purpose today.
With the 2026 session of the Florida Legislature now underway — and as we prepare to celebrate FSU Day at the Capitol on Jan. 21 — it’s fitting to reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we can go with continued support of state leaders who understand that investing in FSU is an investment in our state’s future.
Public universities exist to serve the citizens of their states. At FSU, we take that seriously. We educate students from every corner of Florida. We conduct research that solves real problems. And we help drive economic growth across the state.
I have been honored to serve as president of FSU since 2021. In that time, Florida State gained incredible momentum. While others have been slowed by the challenges of higher education, we have focused on opportunity, innovation, and growth. And we’ve delivered results.
Today, FSU is ranked No. 21 among public universities and No. 51 overall by U.S. News & World Report, the highest national ranking in our history. Niche ranks FSU No. 11 among public universities. We are proud to be part of the nation’s top-ranked State University System. And we are helping lead it.
Student success is at the center of everything we do. Our freshman retention rate is now a record 97%. That puts us among the best in the country. Just four years ago, it was 94 percent.
Our four-year graduation rate has climbed to a record 78%. Our six-year rate is now a record 86%. Transfer students are graduating at an 80% rate — that’s a record for FSU and the highest in State University System history.
Our students are graduating on time, and they are doing it with less debt. The median debt for our graduates is just over $11,000. That is among the lowest of any public research university.
We’ve grown our Honors and Presidential Scholars programs as well as our CARE program for students who are the first in their families to go to college. And we continue to deliver a top-ranked student experience without losing sight of access or economic mobility.
This month, we opened the Herbert Wertheim Center for Business Excellence, thanks to state support and a $65 million gift from Dr. Herbert Wertheim. The gift also names the college the Herbert Wertheim College of Business and supports faculty development, scholarships, and programs.
Research is another area where progress is clear. In just five years, research expenditures have surged from $325 million to a record $488 million — a 50% increase.
INSPIRE, our aerospace and advanced manufacturing initiative, is advancing hypersonics and high-performance materials critical for national security. Our quantum initiative builds on strengths in superconductivity and magnetic technologies. Our rare earth minerals research helps reduce reliance on foreign sources.
FSU Health is expanding access and driving discovery. That includes work in genomics, precision medicine and pediatric rare disease research.
The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, based at FSU, houses the world’s most powerful magnets. It has set 17 world records and supports researchers from across the globe.
Facilities like the Interdisciplinary Research and Commercialization Building and FSU Health Research Center — made possible with state support — advance state and national priorities and boost research, collaboration and workforce development.
These efforts create jobs. They attract talent. And they strengthen Florida’s economy.
As we celebrate our 175th birthday and gather for FSU Day at the Capitol, I am grateful for the partnership of Gov. Ron DeSantis and state leaders who believe in the power of public higher education to transform lives.
Florida State University is proof that sustained investment delivers results. For students. For communities. And for the future of our state.
And at 175, we are just getting started.
Richard McCullough is president of Florida State University, one of the nation’s leading public research universities.
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