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FIU

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Florida International University

PublicCDS 2025–26Miami, FLEst. 1965 · 342 acres
Major city
Students46,2495,854 first-years · 46.7% of classes under 20
Admit Rate60.9%
4-Yr Grad64%6-yr: 78% · Entered fall 2019
Net Price / Yr$10,925Mid-income est., in-state

FIU is Miami's large, commuter-shaped Hispanic-Serving public — a 60.9% admit rate, $6,566 in-state tuition, and a campus wired into Latin America's largest U.S. gateway — where 67.5% of undergraduates are Hispanic and most students live off campus.

More about FIU

Florida International University enrolls 46,249 undergraduates in Miami, Florida — a major city — and admits 60.9% of applicants as a public university. 64% of students graduate in 4 years. Miami is the leading U.S. gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, and FIU sits directly inside that international trade and finance corridor.

46,249 undergraduates

Students who want direct ties to Latin American and Caribbean business and cultureStudents who thrive in a large, majority-Hispanic student bodyStudents who expect to commute or live off campus

Your next questions

Could I get in to FIU?

A few more (optional)

Applying

What would we pay?

$7,003 to $18,200 a year for in-state students, depending on income.

Tap your family income to see your band

College Scorecard 2024 estimate · in-state rates

Out-of-state tuition and fees alone are $20,204 a year, before room, board or aid (FIU CDS 2025–26, G1).

What schools are like FIU?
SchoolAdmitUndergrads
UCF42.8%60,083
San Diego State37.4%36,196
USF40.7%39,093
Compare all 4 side by side →
Should I apply early?

FIU offers Early Action, and it isn't binding: if you're admitted, you don't have to attend.

If your application is ready by Nov 3, applying early commits you to nothing. Some schools limit where else you can apply early, so check FIU's rules.

Deadlines and what early means here ↓
What does FIU look for?
  • FIU rates rigor of coursework, class rank, GPA and test scores Very Important.

    FIU CDS 2025–26, C7

Everything they weigh ↓

What You'll Actually Pay

Price after grants

$7,003 to $18,200 a year for in-state students, depending on income.

College Scorecard 2024 estimate · in-state rates

See the price at your income ↑

Sticker price

Full cost before aid: $21,462 a year in-state. Average need-based aid package: $12,819.

Aid and debt

50.8%

receive need-based grants

$18,003

average debt at graduation

1,438

students got merit aid

about 3% of undergraduates

$2,044

average merit award

Getting In

A note for out-of-state applicants

Florida International University shares one out-of-state enrollment cap with several other public universities in Florida — the limit applies statewide, not to this school individually. If you're applying from outside Florida, your odds may be shaped by that shared, statewide limit rather than by Florida International University's own admissions choices alone.

Per BOG Regulation 7.006.

Key dates

Early ActionNov 3 · Notify: Dec 11
Regular DecisionMar 4 · Notify: Rolling from Jun 1

Test scores

SAT, middle 50% of those who submitted: 1070–1260 · 92% of the class submitted

ACT, middle 50% of those who submitted: 22–27 · 8% of the class submitted

23% were in the top 10% of their high school class.

What they value

Very important
  • Course rigor (AP/IB)
  • Class rank
  • GPA
  • SAT/ACT scores
Considered
  • Personal essay
  • Recommendations
  • Extracurriculars
  • Special talent
  • Character
  • First-gen status
  • Legacy status
  • Where you're from
  • In-state residency
  • Volunteer work
  • Work experience
  • Demonstrated interest

What this means for you

FIU rates course rigor as Very Important.

More

Rigor means AP, IB, and dual enrollment carry real weight — make sure your mix of AP or IB courses is strong.

FIU rates demonstrated interest 'Considered' — it can tip a close decision, without being decisive.

Source: Common Data Set 2025–26, Section C7 (admissions factors)

FIU just showed you what it values in an application. Use that to write a Why-FIU essay that's actually about you — not a template.

Get sourced starting points for your essay

Student Life

46.7% of FIU classes have fewer than 20 students.

46.7%

under 20 students

42.6%

20 to 49

10.7%

50 or more

Every class section counts, labs and seminars included; first-year courses tend to be larger. FIU CDS 2025–26, I-3.

25:1

student:faculty ratio

Campus life

5.6%

first-years from out of state

7%

live on campus

Who attends

  • Hispanic67.5%
  • Black11%
  • White8.3%
  • Asian2.6%
  • Multiracial2%
  • Unknown / other0.9%

Enrolled undergraduates; international students are counted separately and not included. FIU CDS 2025–26, B2.

Popular majors

Business/marketing20.4%
Psychology14.1%
Interdisciplinary studies9.7%
Computer and information sciences8.8%
Biological/life sciences8.7%

Will They Graduate?

64% of FIU students graduate in 4 years.

64%

finish in 4 years

Entered fall 2019

78%

finish in 6 years

Entered fall 2019

91.7%

return after first year

Finishing late means paying for extra semesters, so the 4-year rate is the one that shows the cost.

Students with Pell Grants

77% finish in 6 years, against 78% of all students.

Pell Grant students finish at about the same rate as everyone else.

City & Culture

Beyond the data — what it's actually like to spend four years in Miami.

FIU's Modesto A.

More

Maidique Campus sits in suburban West Miami-Dade, on the site of a former airfield, rather than in downtown Miami — a commuter-shaped campus inside one of the country's largest and most international metro areas. Miami itself is the leading U.S. gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, home to more multinational regional headquarters than any other American city.

The City

Major city

Miami, FL

Best For

Students who want direct ties to Latin American and Caribbean business and cultureStudents who thrive in a large, majority-Hispanic student bodyStudents who expect to commute or live off campusBusiness, international affairs, and trade-minded students
Notable alumni

Notable Alumni

Arts

Pitbull (Armando Christian Pérez)

Global recording artist who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide; attended FIU in the early 2000s.

Politics

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Became the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress, representing South Florida for nearly three decades.

Class of 1975

Law

Barbara Lagoa

Became the first Latina to sit on the Florida Supreme Court, later confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Class of 1989

Sports

T.Y. Hilton

NFL wide receiver drafted in 2012; four-time Pro Bowl selection over a decade-plus career with the Indianapolis Colts.

Class of 2012

Alumni selected for name recognition and range of fields. Not from the Common Data Set.

Traditions

Traditions

Trail of the Torch

Established in 2004, FIU's largest student tradition — a torch relay and ceremony that has grown into the university's signature yearly event.

Roary the Panther

FIU's mascot since the 1970s, with an annual campus birthday celebration among the more visible student-life traditions.

Weekend escapes from Miami

Weekend Escapes

Within driving distance from Miami

Florida Keys

About 1 hour 30 minutes to Key Largo

The northernmost Keys and Everglades National Park's southern entrance, both a short drive south.

Everglades National Park

About 40 minutes

The nearest entrance to Everglades National Park sits just west of the main campus.

South Beach and downtown Miami

About 30-40 minutes

Miami's beaches, nightlife, and Brickell financial district.

Getting there and game days

Getting There & Game Days

Nearest airport

Miami International Airport (MIA)

About 15 minutes from campus

Flies international — you can start a trip abroad from here.

Pro sports nearby

  • Miami Dolphins NFLAbout 30 minutes away
  • Miami Heat NBAAbout 25 minutes away
  • Miami Marlins MLBAbout 25 minutes away
  • Inter Miami CF MLSAbout 20 minutes away
Internships and jobs nearby

Career Proximity

Miami is the leading U.S. gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, and FIU sits directly inside that international trade and finance corridor.

Top Industries Nearby

International trade and logisticsBanking and financeTourism and hospitalityHealth careReal estate

Major Employers

  • Baptist Health South Florida
  • American Airlines
  • Royal Caribbean Group
  • Carnival Corporation
  • Brightline
  • Numerous Latin America regional headquarters in Brickell and Doral

Downtown Miami and Brickell, about 30-40 minutes from campus

Who thrives here

Who Thrives Here

FIU admits 60.9% of applicants and requires SAT or ACT scores for admission rather than making them optional; the middle 50% of submitters scored 1070-1260 on the SAT. In-state tuition and fees run $6,566 against $20,204 for everyone else, and 90.5% of the entering class comes from Florida. The undergraduate body of 46,249 is overwhelmingly Hispanic — 67.5%, against 11.0% Black and 8.3% white — reflecting Miami's own demographics more than a typical American college town. What defines FIU academically is its position: Miami is the country's leading gateway to Latin America, and FIU's business and international programs sit directly inside that trade and finance corridor. Campus life is almost entirely commuter-shaped: only 7.0% of undergraduates live in university housing, and Greek life participation isn't reported. The trade-offs come with scale and access. Teaching runs at 25 students per faculty member and 46.7% of class sections have fewer than 20 students. 64.0% graduate in four years and 78.0% within six, aid covers 35.14% of demonstrated need, and graduates who borrow leave owing $18,003.

Schools like FIU

Closest on admit rate, size, graduation rate, class ratio and public or private — among the 121 schools we cover.

  • 42.8% admit rate · 60,083 undergrads · 77.9% 6-yr grad rate

    $5,816 to $17,681 a year for in-state students, depending on income.

  • 37.4% admit rate · 36,196 undergrads · 78% 6-yr grad rate

    $9,910 to $23,821 a year for in-state students, depending on income.

  • 40.7% admit rate · 39,093 undergrads · 78% 6-yr grad rate

    $4,122 to $18,497 a year for in-state students, depending on income.

Compare FIU with these 3 →Browse all 121 schools →Building a college list? Start one here →

Admit rate, enrollment and graduation rate are from each school's Common Data Set (2025–26). Price ranges are College Scorecard estimates, in-state at public schools.