“Public R1 research university in Miami with 11 colleges and more than 200 programs of study.”
Florida International University (FIU) is a large public R1 research university in Miami, Florida — the United States' most international city — and one of the top-25 largest universities in the country with more than 56,000 students. Founded in 1965 and a designated Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution, FIU sits at the cultural crossroads of the Americas and was built from the start to bridge the U.S. and Latin America. Its main Modesto A. Maidique Campus spans 344 acres in west Miami, with a second Biscayne Bay campus on the water in North Miami. FIU is best known for programs that leverage its global location: the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is ranked No. 3 among U.S. public universities (No. 23 in the world) by the 2026 QS Rankings, and the College of Business' International Business program has held the No. 2 public ranking nationally for five straight years. The College of Engineering & Computing, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, and a fast-growing School of Computing & Information Sciences round out a research portfolio that pulls in more than $250M in annual research expenditures. For international students, FIU offers something rare among large U.S. publics: a campus where being from somewhere else is the norm. Students arrive from 142+ countries — most heavily Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, India, China, and Saudi Arabia — into a city where Spanish is spoken everywhere and Latin American and Caribbean alumni networks run deep across finance, hospitality, healthcare, and tech. Tuition for non-Florida residents is among the most affordable for a U.S. R1 (about $19K/year), and merit scholarships are awarded automatically at the time of application.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
National Universities
US News 2026
International Student Enrollment (F-1)
DHS SEVIS by the Numbers (2024)
Research Activity
Carnegie Classifications (2021)
Research classification
Carnegie
Florida Preeminent State Research University
State of Florida
Florida state designation
State of Florida
Best Values in Public Colleges
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Test Required — All applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official SourceEarly Action
Non-binding early action
Regular Decision
Priority deadline for housing and scholarships
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$6,565
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$18,964
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
4 years
Ranked the #2 public undergraduate International Business program in the U.S. for five consecutive years. Curriculum integrates regional studies, foreign-language requirements, and study-abroad/international consulting projects — leveraging Miami's role as a gateway to Latin America.
4 years
World top-25 hospitality program (QS 2026), with a STEM-designated Hospitality Analytics track that qualifies international graduates for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Strong industry pipelines into Marriott, Hyatt, Disney, and the Miami cruise & resort sector.
4 years
STEM-designated. Located inside the Knight Foundation School of Computing & Information Sciences, with concentrations in cybersecurity, AI, and data science. Strong placement into Florida's tech corridor (Citrix, Magic Leap, Visa, Kaseya) and Miami's growing fintech scene.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $18,964
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
