A finite element formulation based on an enhanced first order shear deformation theory is developed to accurately and efficiently predict the behavior of laminated composite and sandwich structures. An enhanced first order shear deformation theory is systematically derived by minimizing the least-squared energy error between the first order shear deformable plate theory and a higher order shear deformable plate theory. In this way, the strain energy of a higher order theory is transformed to that of the Reissner-Mindlin plate theory. This minimization procedure yields a relationship between them that is also used to improve the accuracy of predicted stresses and displacements. The key feature of the proposed theory is in that it can be implemented to commercial FEM packages by simply changing the input, and the results obtained can be also enhanced by post-processing them via a differential quadrature method. Thus, a proposed finite element formulation can be widely used in various application problems. Through numerical examples, the accuracy and robustness of the present formulation are demonstrated.