We don’t often think about illegal immigrants regarding higher education. They are usually discussed at the primary and secondary scholastic levels and, of course, within the workforce and welfare rolls. Nonetheless, roughly 6,672 noncitizens were enrolled across Florida’s 40 state institutions last year, taking spots that should have gone to legal residents. 

Florida has 12 public universities and 28 colleges across the peninsula. With an estimated population of 23,462,518 by the U.S. Census Bureau and continued projected growth, those campuses increasingly have precious little space. That makes it even harder for high school applicants to get in, particularly at the University of Miami, which has an acceptance rate of 19%; Florida A&M University, with a 21% acceptance rate; the University of Florida, with a 24% acceptance rate; and Florida State University, also with 24%.