The university comprises four academic colleges: Engineering & Science, Aeronautics, Psychology & Liberal Arts, and Business.

[7] The university's 130-acre primary residential campus is near the Melbourne Orlando International Airport and 16 miles from Patrick Space Force Base.

[11][12] Florida Institute of Technology was founded in 1958 as Brevard Engineering College to support NASA by Dr. Jerome P. Keuper, who became the first president.

[14] During the 1960s additional classroom and laboratory buildings, a library (formally dedicated on 23 January 1965), the Denius Student Center, Hedgecock Gymnasium, Gleason Auditorium and several dormitories were constructed.

The university was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1964[16] and officially changed its name to Florida Institute of Technology in 1966.

[14] The Claude Pepper Institute for Aging and Therapeutic Research and Skurla Hall, home of the School of Aeronautics, opened in 1990.

[15] In 2004, Florida Tech obtained National Science Foundation (NSF) funding to build a 24-inch telescope atop the newly completed F.W.

However, Melbourne Beach resident Jim Ortega, who had retired from the University of Virginia to Florida in 1998, stepped forward with the additional funds needed to secure a 32-inch telescope and its associated observatory.

November 20, 2015, marked the unveiling of the Harris Student Design Center, an 11,500 square foot building on the south side of campus.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had more officers that are graduates of Florida Tech in Jensen Beach than from any other campus or college in the country.

[30] Presidents of the institution have included: The university's 130-acre main campus is located in Melbourne, Florida, on what is known as the Space Coast region along the Atlantic Ocean.

In 2024, the average combined Critical Reading and Math SAT score of incoming freshmen at the undergraduate level of Florida Tech was 1220.

Florida Tech's chemistry program is accredited by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society.

[45] U.S. News & World Report ranks Florida Tech 231 among national universities in the U.S., 156 for undergraduate engineering programs, and 328 in social mobility.

[49] In 2024, Niche ranked Florida Tech 221 out of 2,650 colleges in America after surveying students and recent alumni about their experiences on and off campus.

[53] Florida Tech was named by Times Higher Education as one of the top universities in the United States for graduate employability in 2024.

[55] From 2009 to 2012, the number of Florida Tech faculty who serve as principal investigators increased by 100% including four recipients of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Career Awards.

[74] The school fields teams in 18 sports, 9 each for men and women, at the NCAA Division II level and is a member of the Sunshine State Conference.

[77] The football team played in the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference as an affiliate member.

[77] Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield attended Florida Tech and set the home run record in 1987 as a first baseman.

Florida Tech runs apartment-style housing options located near campus at Mary Star of the Sea - Newman Hall and Panther Bay Apartments.

Arts, media, and performance organizations include: Amateur Radio Club, Belletrist, College Players, Dance Association, Film Society, FITV, Florida Tech Pep Band, The Crimson and WFIT.

[87] Students at Florida Tech have the opportunity to participate in a number of club and intramural sports in addition to the varsity athletics programs.

[88] The university offers intramural sports Flag Football, Ultimate Frisbee, martial arts, paintball, Disc Golf and Judo.

[88] Sport clubs include ice hockey, soccer, table tennis, Collegiate wrestling and baseball.

[92] The Crimson won a Society of Professional Journalists Regional Mark of Excellence Award in 2014 for best in-depth reporting at a small school (fewer than 9,999 students).

Florida Tech alumni include six NASA astronauts and have graduates that served across as military, government, and executive leaders.