College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Florida International University

FLLarge public institution · Overall rank #14 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks Florida International University #14 nationally.

Who it’s a good fit for

Florida International University is a public university in Miami, Florida, where the degree mix is led by Business and Psychology. Mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds to expected earnings, while the part it attributes to what it cannot explain subtracts.

Return is around the average, while mobility is among the highest we track and access is among the highest we track. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole.

The lowest income band pays well under the published cost, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is modest, so the price case holds across the income scale. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions.

A student drawn to the social sciences should know that the largest programs are not the best-paid ones.

FIU at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
54.7%
Six-year completion[2]
74.4%
Four-year earnings[3]
$62,192

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$10,925
Median student debt[4]
$16,500
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$13,610

FIU rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

In Miami, Florida, Florida International University enrolls 39,508 undergraduates as a public university. It lands near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with mobility as its clearest strength.

It admits 54.7% of applicants, against a median of 78.1% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. First-year retention stands at 91.8%, next to a peer median of 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate is 74.4%, against 65.0% for that group. An estimated 64.3% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes a minority of the people who study here.

The four are not evenly matched. Mobility is the strongest and return is the weakest, while access and affordability sit close to mobility.

That shape gives Florida International University a profile whose strongest results are in who it serves and how far they go, with return the outlier on the low end.

Azimuth ranks Florida International University #14 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The strongest pillar is mobility, which sits in the 99th percentile nationally.

Access reaches the 97th percentile and affordability the 94th percentile. The return pillar, at the 50th percentile, is the weakest of the four.

At Florida International University, 41.4% of undergraduates are Pell recipients, qualifying for federal need-based grants. For access, Azimuth places the university at #47 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Among Pell recipients, 55.1% finish within six years, a rate that trails the overall cohort rate (74.4%) by 19.3 percentage points. Azimuth ranks the university #10 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,562 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the university's mobility standing.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

FIU rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#14

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 99
Access & reach
National percentile: 97
Affordability
National percentile: 94
Return on investment
National percentile: 50

Top-ranked majors

  1. Construction Engineering Technology/Technician#10
  2. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management#10
  3. Public Administration#15

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / FIU briefing

FIU cost & financial aid[6][7]

The published cost of attendance at Florida International University is $21,462. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,168 and required fees of $398 for the 2026-27 academic year.

Out-of-state tuition is $19,806, and on-campus food and housing is listed at $13,852. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $9,288.

That is $6,346 below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Grants and scholarships reduce the published cost by an average of $12,174 for aid recipients.

Azimuth ranks the university #79 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Florida International University publishes a cost of attendance of $21,462. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $7,003, rising to $10,925 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $18,200 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,197. Azimuth ranks Florida International University #79 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 57% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $12,174. The across all aid recipients is $9,288, which is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $6,346.

The median federal student debt at completion is $16,500, with about 59.8% of federal aid recipients borrowing. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions by $3,576.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $13,610. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for a graduate with the median federal debt is $188.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$10,925

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at FIU

The median federal student debt at Florida International University is $16,500 for borrowers who complete a degree. About 59.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Compared with the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), the university's median is below by $3,576. For a separate population of parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS loan is $13,610.

Graduates of Florida International University earn a median of $62,192 four years after completion, a figure in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $2,562 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that falls in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios based on the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $62,192, a downside scenario of $47,215, and an upside scenario of $83,115. Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $16,500, which is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt implies an estimated monthly payment of $188.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $13,610. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $188.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$16,500
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$13,610

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$188/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$173/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / FIU briefing

FIU career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Florida International University reports median earnings of $62,192 four years after completion. That institution-wide figure is a starting point; results for particular fields can differ.

Read earnings alongside retention and completion. Earnings among completers do not include every student who entered the institution, while the lower and higher planning estimates describe modeled mixes of program outcomes rather than observed salary percentiles.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$10,481
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$7,919
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$2,562

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / FIU briefing

FIU acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Florida International University admits 54.7% of applicants, a rate well below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 36,113 applicants, 21,976 admitted, and 5,854 enrolled.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
54.7%
25th percentile
1070
Median
1170
75th percentile
1260

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / FIU briefing

What are the largest majors at FIU?[12]

The largest program records at Florida International University, by reported degrees awarded, are: Psychology, General (1,715 awards); Biology, General (896 awards); Biological and Physical Sciences (735 awards); Computer and Information Sciences, General (665 awards); Finance and Financial Management Services (665 awards). These counts describe degree output in the source reporting period, not current enrollment or unique people.

Among those larger programs, reported median earnings four years after completion include Psychology, General at $49,470; Biology, General at $46,718; Computer and Information Sciences, General at $90,397. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.

Keep individual program records separate from broader degree categories and from records for other reporting periods. Those views can describe different parts of the university’s academic mix.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Psychology, General 1,715 degrees awarded
$49,470
Biology, General 896 degrees awarded
$46,718
Biological and Physical Sciences 735 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Computer and Information Sciences, General 665 degrees awarded
$90,397
Finance and Financial Management Services 665 degrees awarded
$71,355
Hospitality Administration/Management 622 degrees awarded
$56,667

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / FIU briefing

How does FIU serve students from different backgrounds?

Azimuth places Florida International University in the 99th percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 74.4%, while Pell recipients complete at 55.1% — below the overall rate by 19.3 percentage points.

Graduates earn about $2,562 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 64th percentile nationally.

Azimuth places the access pillar of Florida International University in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 54.7% of applicants, a rate well below the peer median of 78.1%, and enrolls 39,508 undergraduates.

Pell Grant recipients account for 41.4% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 64.3% of students arrive as transfers or part-time students.

06 / FIU briefing

What colleges are similar to FIU?[15]

The comparisons for Florida International University cover higher reported admission rates, similar admissions profiles, higher reported earnings at similar cost, lower reported cost with similar earnings and options in the same state or region. The similar-schools brief keeps these questions in separate groups, with related institutional profiles shown as another comparison.

Each group has its own candidate list and ordering. A high position within one group is not a rank against all the schools in the other groups, and a school can appear more than once for different reasons. Check the source definition and earnings period for the comparison you choose.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with FIU.

Admissions peerFlorida Gulf Coast University63.4% admitted
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUFlorida Gulf Coast University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$59,369-$2,823 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$12,568+$3,280 vs FIU · higher cost
Admission rate54.7%63.4%
Explore Florida Gulf Coast University →
Higher-admission alternativeEverglades University81.5% admitted
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUEverglades University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$59,470-$2,722 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$27,371+$18,083 vs FIU · higher cost
Admission rate54.7%81.5%
Nearby alternativeFlorida Atlantic UniversityNearby option · FL
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUFlorida Atlantic University
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$59,690-$2,502 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$8,752-$536 vs FIU · lower cost
Admission rate54.7%66.1%
Explore Florida Atlantic University →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Michigan-Dearborn$77,294 earnings
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUUniversity of Michigan-Dearborn
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$77,294+$15,102 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$9,492+$204 vs FIU · higher cost
Admission rate54.7%55.6%
Explore University of Michigan-Dearborn →
Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUCUNY Brooklyn College
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$62,833+$641 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$3,103-$6,185 vs FIU · lower cost
Admission rate54.7%58.4%
Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →
Similar profileUniversity of South FloridaMatched across several measures
Comparison with FIU
MeasureFIUUniversity of South Florida
Peer earnings · 4 years$62,192$62,079-$113 vs FIU
Average annual net price$9,288$9,812+$524 vs FIU · higher cost
Admission rate54.7%43.2%
Explore University of South Florida →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings