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What are Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Students?
Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) student enrollment represents the total number of students enrolled at Florida Tech if all were enrolled as full-time students. Different institutions use varying methods for calculating FTE, but the core principle remains the same: converting part-time enrollment into an equivalent number of full-time students.
The purpose of FTE is to provide a standardized metric of enrollment. The standardized enrollment figures that FTE provides allow for peer comparisons with institutions exhibiting different enrollment patterns. Additionally, FTE helps with resource allocation, budgeting, and staffing decisions.
FTE Student Calculations at Florida Tech
FTE student calculations at Florida Tech vary depending on internal or external reporting.
For internal reporting, student FTEs are calculated as follows, accounting for differences in how a full-time student is defined for each campus and academic level:
- Melbourne campus, off-campus sites, and virtual programs:
- Full-time Credit Hours + Part-time Credit Hours/12 (for undergraduate students)
- Full-time Credit Hours + Part-time Credit Hours/9 (for graduate students).
- Florida Tech Online:
- Full-time Credit Hours + Part-time Credit Hours/6 (for undergraduate students)
- Full-time Credit Hours + Part-time Credit Hours/4.5 (for graduate students).
For external reporting, like IPEDS (Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System) and CDS (Common Data Set), student FTEs are calculated as follows:
- Full-time + 1/3 Part-time (for all students, regardless of their academic level).