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Students gather outside Florida Poly’s campus in Lakeland, where enrollment has reached record highs for 2025-26. | Rachel Casey, Florida Polytechnic University
2-minute read
Florida Polytechnic University opened the 2025-26 academic year with more than 1,930 students — surpassing its goal of 1,920 and marking its second straight year of 10%+ growth.
“This remarkable enrollment underscores the growing recognition of Florida Poly’s value in preparing students for high-demand STEM careers,” said Bryan Brooks, vice president of student affairs, enrollment management and strategic communications.
Florida Poly’s target is to enroll 3,000 students by 2030. The sustained 9-10% annual growth ensures that more graduates enter the local and state workforce each year.
Fueling the workforce
Brooks said the goal is to have graduates job-ready by training university students alongside employers — helping to keep top-tier talent in Florida and especially Polk County.
“We don’t want to train them for years and they get into the workforce, and it takes them another four years to learn how to be successful in their jobs … we want to train at the same time so upon graduation, they’re ready to step right in,” Brooks said.
Record growth at Florida Poly is more than a milestone. The university’s goal is to fuel Polk County’s workforce, keep top STEM talent close to home, and position the region at the center of Florida’s innovation economy for years to come.
By the numbers
An overwhelming majority of first-year students (91%) are from Florida. Forty percent are from Polk, Orange, Osceola, and Hillsborough counties.
Leaders point to affordability as central to the university’s momentum. Seventy-five precent of students graduate from Florida Poly without federal student loans.
Florida Poly is focused on its most popular programs — engineering and computer science — while expanding offerings in other high-demand fields like cybersecurity, mathematics, and engineering management.
Brooks said the job market is part of the story. With AI and other technology reshaping industries, students see opportunities not only for higher salaries but also to work in innovative fields.
Brooks noted that housing is already at 90% capacity, so recruiting more local students helps the university grow steadily while additional housing is developed.
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Kayla Borg is a Lakeland native and graduate of Western Carolina University, where she earned her degree in English and film production. She began her media career in Atlanta at CNN, quickly rising from production assistant editor to technical director/editor, leading live broadcasts alongside field reporters. Since then, she’s worked in education, instructional design and independent filmmaking.
