A public R1 university in Miami, FL, admitting 54.66% of applicants with an average net price of $9,288, a 68.44% Hispanic enrollment, and a 41.40% first-generation student population in the heart of South Florida.
Miami, Florida
Florida International University is a public R1 research university in Miami, Florida, founded in 1965 as the first public university in Miami-Dade County. It enrolls approximately 41,089 undergraduates and 9,975 graduate students across twenty-six colleges and schools, including the Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the College of Business, the College of Engineering and Computing, the College of Arts, Sciences and Education, the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
Business, education, engineering, health sciences, and social sciences account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. Florida International University is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SAT or ACT scores are required for admission; Florida International University requires standardized testing. FIU is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Minority-Serving Institution, with 68.44% of undergraduates identifying as Hispanic, the highest concentration of any major R1 research university in the United States.
Official website: fiu.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Florida International University scores 89.77 overall, rated Strong, one of the highest scores among large public universities with a majority-minority enrollment. Outcomes (88.88) reflects a 74.43% six-year graduation rate and 84.81% first-year retention. Value scores 98.19, driven by strong ten-year earnings of $60,249 relative to an exceptionally low average net price of $9,288. Selectivity scores 68.82, reflecting a 54.66% admit rate. All scores use verified federal data only.
Florida International University admits 54.66% of applicants. SAT or ACT scores are required; standardized testing is not optional at FIU. FIU uses its own application portal. The priority deadline is October 1 for fall admission; the final deadline is April 1. Applicants apply to specific colleges within FIU; the College of Engineering and Computing and the College of Business are among the more competitive programs. Florida residents who qualify for the Bright Futures Scholarship should review test score requirements, as FIU requires SAT or ACT scores for both admission and scholarship eligibility verification.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Florida International University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Florida International University charges $6,565 in in-state tuition and $19,509 in out-of-state tuition, plus room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $22,500 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $9,288, one of the lowest of any R1 research university in the country. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $7,003. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $7,698.
For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $14,286. Florida residents may be eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship, which further reduces tuition costs for students who meet GPA and standardized test score requirements. The federal loan rate of 16.86% and median debt of $16,500 are among the very lowest of any R1 research university in the country, reflecting the combined effect of low in-state tuition, strong federal and state grant support, and FIU's access mission.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Florida International University graduates a majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 74.43% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students, below the average for selective public flagships in this peer group. First-year retention stands at 84.81%, below the peer average.
The federal loan rate of 16.86% and median debt of $16,500 are remarkably low given the size of the university and the income profile of the student body, reflecting FIU's very low tuition and the impact of Pell Grants and Bright Futures scholarship support. The below-average graduation and retention rates are notable at a university that primarily serves first-generation and lower-income students who face greater barriers to completion.
Florida International University graduates enter careers in business, healthcare, engineering, education, and the hospitality industry, primarily in South Florida and across Latin America. Median earnings are $43,580 six years after first enrolling and $60,249 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 82.94% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Miami's economy, anchored by international trade, finance, real estate, healthcare, hospitality, and Latin American business, creates distinctive career pathways for FIU graduates.
FIU's location and its bilingual, bicultural student body make it a natural pipeline for companies with Latin American operations: Citigroup, American Airlines, Carnival Cruise Line, Lennar, and numerous international banks and trading firms are major Miami employers. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences provide pathways into South Florida's large and growing healthcare sector.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Florida International University enrolls approximately 41,089 undergraduates across its two main campuses in Miami: University Park (southwest Miami-Dade) and Biscayne Bay Campus (North Miami). Hispanic students account for 68.44% of undergraduates, the highest rate of any major R1 research university in the United States; White students are 11.08%, Black students 10.88%, and Asian students 3.84%. Approximately 43.13% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 41.40% are first-generation college students.
A large share of FIU students commute from home rather than living on campus, reflecting the university's commuter-campus culture and the high cost of Miami housing. The university's location in Miami provides access to a globally oriented city with a thriving cultural, arts, and food scene, significant Latin American and Caribbean populations, and a warm climate.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Florida International University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Florida International University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 196 distinct programs across 26 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Florida International University operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large access-oriented public research universities. 97.61% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, the highest rate in this peer group. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $8,518 per year, the lowest in this peer group, reflecting the budgetary constraints of a large access-oriented public university.
The university is an AAU aspirant institution with growing research output in international studies, environment and sustainability (FIU is located adjacent to the Everglades), and biomedical sciences. The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is one of the top hospitality programs in the country and benefits directly from Miami's role as a global destination for tourism, conventions, and the cruise industry.
1,386 instructional faculty across 6 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 317 | 23% | $143,533 |
| Associate Professors | 353 | 25% | $101,294 |
| Assistant Professors | 261 | 19% | $93,154 |
| Instructors | 413 | 30% | $74,671 |
| Lecturers | 12 | 1% | $104,443 |
| No Rank | 30 | 2% | $96,405 |
Florida International University's defining strengths are its UCD 89.77 Strong score, exceptionally low net price ($9,288 average, $7,003 for families under $30,000), very low federal loan rate (16.86%), 97.61% full-time faculty instruction rate, and Miami's distinctive economy with Latin American business, healthcare, hospitality, and international trade creating career pathways unavailable at other universities. UCD 89.77 Strong.
The considerations: SAT or ACT scores are required; the 74.43% six-year graduation rate and 84.81% first-year retention are below peer averages; the instructional spending of $8,518 per student is the lowest in this peer group; and the commuter-campus culture means a less traditional residential college experience. Best fit for South Florida and Florida residents, particularly first-generation and lower-income students, who want an R1 research university at very low cost with access to Miami's Latin American-oriented business economy.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about FIU: what the HSI designation means, how FIU compares to University of Florida and FSU, what Miami's economy means for careers, and how the commuter culture affects campus life.
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