University of Miami facts for kids
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| Latin: Universitas Miamiensis | |
| Motto | Magna est veritas (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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"Great is the truth" |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | April 8, 1925 |
| Accreditation | SACSCOC and 24 others |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $1.37 billion (2023) |
| Budget | $5.2 billion (2024) |
| President | Julio Frenk |
| Provost | Guillermo Prado |
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Academic staff
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3,513 (Fall 2023) |
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Administrative staff
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15,491 (Fall 2023) |
| Students | 19,593 (Fall 2023) |
| Undergraduates | 12,570 (Fall 2023) |
| Postgraduates | 6,710 (Fall 2023) |
| Location |
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25°43′18″N 80°16′45″W / 25.7216°N 80.2793°W |
| Campus | Small city, 453 acres (1.83 km2) (total) |
| Newspaper | The Miami Hurricane |
| Colors | Orange, white and green |
| Nickname | Hurricanes |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Sebastian the Ibis |
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The University of Miami (often called UM, UMiami, or The U) is a private research university located in Coral Gables, Florida. As of 2023, nearly 20,000 students attend the university. They study in many different subjects, with almost 350 academic majors and programs.
The university has special schools like the Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in Miami's Health District. There's also a law school on the main campus. The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is on Virginia Key, focusing on ocean and weather studies. The University of Miami is a major employer in Miami-Dade County, with many faculty and staff. Its main campus is about 7 miles south of Downtown Miami. It is known for its high level of research activity.
The University of Miami has over 229,000 former students from all over the world. Its teachers include famous experts, even four Nobel Prize winners. The university is recognized for its "Very high research activity." It is also part of the Association of American Universities, a group of leading research universities.
The university's sports teams are called the Miami Hurricanes. They compete in NCAA Division I, the highest level of college sports. The football team has won five national championships since 1983. The baseball team has won four national championships since 1982.
History
How the University Started
The University of Miami was started in 1925 by a group of local people. They wanted to create a university that would focus on studies about the Americas, arts, and tropical studies. They hoped the university would get a lot of money from the growing South Florida area. At that time, Florida had separate state universities for white male, white female, and Black female students. The University of Miami was open to both male and female students from the start, but it did not admit Black students at first.
In 1925, George E. Merrick, who founded Coral Gables, gave the university land and money. However, a big land boom ended in 1926, and a strong hurricane hit Miami. This caused big financial problems for the university. For the next 15 years, the university struggled to stay open. The first building on campus was only half-built for a long time. Classes had to be held in a nearby hotel, which led to the nickname "Cardboard College."
In 1932, the university even had to file for bankruptcy. But things started to get better. In 1934, the university was reorganized. By 1940, it began to grow. New schools were added, including the School of Law (1928), the School of Business (1929), and the School of Medicine (1952). During World War II, the university helped train U.S. Navy officers.
Important Leaders
Jay F. W. Pearson (1952-1962)
Jay F. W. Pearson became the university's second president in 1952. He had been a teacher there for a long time. Under his leadership, the university started offering its first Ph.D. degrees. The number of students also grew a lot, reaching over 4,000.
In 1961, the university changed its rules and began admitting Black students. It also allowed them to fully participate in all student activities and sports. Five years later, in 1966, Ray Bellamy became the first major Black college athlete in the Southern U.S. to get a sports scholarship. The university also started to give women more equal opportunities in sports and student life.
Henry King Stanford (1962-1981)
Henry King Stanford became the third president in 1962. He focused on increasing the university's research efforts. New research centers were created during his time. The university also began to actively welcome students from other countries. In 1968, he stopped the university band from playing the song "Dixie" at football games.
Edward T. Foote II (1981-2000)
Edward T. Foote II became the fourth president in 1981. He worked to attract excellent teachers and students. He also oversaw a big fundraising campaign that raised over $500 million. Three new schools were started: the School of Architecture, the School of Communication, and the School of International Studies.
Donna Shalala (2000-2015)
Donna Shalala became the fifth president in 2000. She had previously been a government official. Under her leadership, the university built new libraries, dorms, and classroom buildings. The quality of education continued to improve.
In 2002, the university started a huge fundraising campaign. It raised $1.37 billion, which was the most ever raised by a Florida university at that time. A large part of this money went to improving the medical campus. In 2007, the university bought Cedars Medical Center, renaming it University of Miami Hospital. This gave the medical school its own teaching hospital.
In 2004, the University of Miami hosted one of the U.S. presidential debates between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Millions of people watched it on TV. In 2006, the university's custodial workers went on strike for better pay and health benefits. Students supported them, and the strike led to better conditions for the workers.
Julio Frenk (2015-present)
On April 13, 2015, Julio Frenk was named the university's sixth president. He had been a dean at Harvard University and a Secretary of Health for the government of Mexico. In 2016, the University of Miami hosted a Republican presidential debate on its campus.
Campus
Coral Gables Campus
The University of Miami's main campus is in Coral Gables, Florida. It covers about 240 acres. Most of the university's classes and programs are on this campus. It has eight schools and two colleges, including the Frost School of Music and the University of Miami School of Law.
At the center of the campus is Lake Osceola, a man-made lake. The campus theater is named after Jerry Herman, a famous composer who wrote for Broadway shows like Hello Dolly!. The John C. Gifford Arboretum, a garden with many different plants, is also on campus.
You can get to the Coral Gables campus by Miami Metrorail. The University Station stop is very close to the campus. This connects the university to Downtown Miami and other areas. The university also has shuttle buses that run on campus and to other locations.
Where Students Live
| UM residence halls | Year built | Room capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Eaton Residential College | 1954 | 400 |
| Mahoney Residential College | 1958 | 700 |
| Pearson Residential College | 1962 | 700 |
| Hecht Residential College | 1968 | 850 |
| Stanford Residential College | 1968 | 850 |
| University Village | 2006 | 800 |
| Lakeside Village | 2020 | 1,115 |
| Total | 5,415 | |
The main campus in Coral Gables has housing for over 5,400 students. Most first-year students live on campus. There are five residential colleges and one apartment-style area. Some dorms are "Freshman Towers" with double rooms. Others have suite-style housing, where two rooms share a bathroom.
University Village offers apartment-style housing with kitchens. This is usually for older students (juniors and seniors). The university also has seven fraternity houses on campus. Sororities have suites within campus buildings. Lakeside Village is a newer complex that houses over 1,100 students.
Medical School Campus
The university's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine campus is in Miami's Health District. It has many full-time teachers and students. This campus includes 70 acres within a larger medical complex.
The medical center has three hospitals owned by the University of Miami. These are University of Miami Hospital, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital. Other hospitals like Jackson Memorial Hospital also work closely with the university. The oldest building on the medical campus is known as "The Alamo" and is a historic site.
In 2007, the university bought Cedars Medical Center. This gave the Miller School of Medicine its own teaching hospital. The medical campus is connected to the main campus by the Metrorail.
Marine and Atmospheric Science Campus
The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science has its campus on Virginia Key, right on the water. It is the only research center of its kind in the southern U.S. that focuses on tropical marine and atmospheric studies. The school has the world's largest hurricane simulation tank.
The school also has a research facility in Barbados. This facility studies how dust from the Sahara desert travels across the Atlantic Ocean. The school started in 1945 when the Rickenbacker Causeway was built, making Virginia Key easier to reach. The university began leasing land there in 1951.
Since 1951, the school has published the Bulletin of Marine Science. This is a scientific journal about oceanography, marine biology, and other related topics. In 2009, the university received a large grant to build a new research building on this campus.
Libraries
The University of Miami has one of the largest university library systems in the country. It holds over four million books and many other materials. There are many librarians and staff to help students.
Four of the university's libraries are on the Coral Gables campus. The main one is the Otto G. Richter Library. This library has collections on art, architecture, humanities, and sciences. It also stores rare books, maps, and historical documents. The Richter Library's Cuban Heritage Collection has the largest collection of Cuba-related materials outside of Cuba.
The Miller School of Medicine has its own main library. The Rosenstiel School also has a library on its campus. In 2017, the university received a large donation of rare books and maps. A new center, the Kislak Center, was built to house these and other special collections. These include a very old copy of Christopher Columbus's letter about his first voyage.
Academics
The University of Miami has many full-time teachers. Most of them have the highest degrees in their fields. The student-to-teacher ratio is about 12 students for every 1 teacher.
Accreditations
The University of Miami is officially recognized by many organizations. This means its programs meet high quality standards. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Florida Department of Education. Many of its specific programs, like medicine, law, and business, also have their own special accreditations.
The university is a member of several important academic groups. In 2022, the Miami Herbert Business School earned a special "triple crown" accreditation status. This means it is recognized by the top three business school accrediting bodies in the world. Less than one percent of business schools worldwide have this honor.
Admissions
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 48,286 | 49,167 | 42,244 | 40,131 | 38,919 | 34,279 |
| Admits | 8,940 | 9,311 | 12,036 | 13,280 | 10,557 | 11,020 |
| Enrolls | 2,328 | 2,371 | 2,766 | 2,358 | 2,203 | 2,366 |
| Admit rate | 18.5% | 18.9% | 28.5% | 33.1% | 27.1% | 32.1% |
| Yield rate | 26.0% | 25.5% | 23.0% | 17.8% | 20.9% | 21.5% |
| SAT composite* | 1340-1450 (32%†) |
1330–1450 (35%†) |
1310–1450 (31%†) |
1260–1400 (55%†) |
1280–1420 (57%†) |
1250–1430 (51%†) |
| ACT composite* | 30–33 (21%†) |
30–33 (22%†) |
30–33 (24%†) |
28–32 (40%†) |
29–32 (38%†) |
29–32 (43%†) |
| * middle 50% range † percentage of first-time freshmen who chose to submit |
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Getting into the University of Miami is quite competitive. For the fall 2023 class, the university received over 48,000 applications. Only about 18.5% of applicants were accepted. Of those accepted, about 26% chose to enroll.
Many incoming students were top performers in their high school classes. The average SAT score for enrolled students was 1400, and the average ACT score was 31. The average GPA was 3.8 out of 4.0.
Students come to the University of Miami from all over the world. In 2019, about 23% of undergraduate students were from the Miami area. Another 10% were from other parts of Florida. A large number, 51%, came from other U.S. states, and 15% were international students. The university is known for its diverse student body.
Most students who start at the University of Miami stay and graduate. About 93% of first-year students return for their second year. About 84% of students graduate within six years.
How the University is Organized
The University of Miami is run by a board of trustees. This board includes elected members, alumni, and other experts. The university president, Julio Frenk, is the chief executive. Each of the university's 12 schools and colleges is led by a dean.
The university has many different schools for undergraduate and graduate students:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- College of Engineering
- Frost School of Music
- Herbert Business School
- Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
- School of Architecture
- School of Communication
- School of Education and Human Development
- School of Nursing and Health Studies
Some schools are only for graduate students:
- Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
- The Graduate School
- University of Miami School of Law
The university also helps students who want to start their own businesses through a program called The Launch Pad. It connects students with legal help and investors.
Costs to Attend
| School | Tuition | Total cost |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | $50,226 | $68,458 |
| Graduate school | $37,624 | $64,776 |
| Law school | $52,390 | $80,168 |
| Medical school (in-state Florida residents) | $40,494 | $69,051 |
| Medical school (non-Florida residents) | $44,107 | $72,664 |
For the 2022–2023 school year, the estimated total cost for full-time undergraduate students living on campus was about $78,640 per year. This includes tuition, housing, and other expenses. Costs can be different depending on where students live.
Rankings
The University of Miami is recognized as a top university. U.S. News & World Report ranked it 67th among all national universities in 2023. Its Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine was ranked 44th, and its School of Law was ranked 71st.
In 2022, the Academic Ranking of World Universities placed the University of Miami among the top universities globally for oceanography (9th) and business administration (25th). Its Physical Therapy Department was ranked 10th best in the nation in 2018.
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Research
The University of Miami is known for its very high research activity. It ranks among the top U.S. universities for money spent on research programs. In 2023, this totaled $456 million.
Besides research in its schools, the university has several special research centers:
- Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy connects science with environmental rules.
- Center for Research and Education for Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE) looks for ways to improve life for older adults.
- Computational Science Center uses data to find solutions to world problems.
- European Union Center studies economic, social, and political issues related to the European Union.
- Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) provides research on Cuba.
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics researches diseases like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. It also explores possible cures.
- The Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies explores issues affecting the Jewish people.
- The Wallace H. Coulter Center turns science and engineering ideas into new healthcare products.
The university's Miller School of Medicine gets over $200 million each year for research. It has many ongoing projects. The medical campus has a lot of research space. The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute studies stem cells to find new treatments.
The University of Miami has a large computer system for research. It supports many users and has a lot of computing power and storage. The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science receives $50 million annually for its research. Its labs have special equipment for marine and atmospheric studies. The school also runs a research station in the Bahamas.
In 2010, the university built a brain imaging lab. It uses advanced technology to study how the brain works. This lab received a large grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2019, the Miller School of Medicine received a record amount of NIH funding. This made it the largest NIH grant recipient among medical schools in Florida.
Student life
The University of Miami has many student groups. There are 31 social fraternities and sororities. Seven of these have houses on campus. Others have suites in campus buildings. There are also multicultural fraternities and sororities.
As of 2022, the university has 356 student organizations. These include groups like Amnesty International and Habitat for Humanity. Students also run a yearbook, a TV channel (UMTV), a Spanish TV broadcast (UniMiami), a magazine (Distraction Magazine), and a campus radio station (WVUM). Since 1929, students have published The Miami Hurricane, a weekly newspaper.
The University of Miami has several special honor societies. The Iron Arrow Honor Society, founded in 1926, is the highest honor given by the university. It includes students, teachers, and alumni.
Athletics
The University of Miami's sports teams are called the Miami Hurricanes. They are often called "The 'Canes" or "The U." They play in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. They are part of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Before 2004, they were in the Big East Conference.
The Hurricanes have seven men's teams, including baseball, basketball, and football. They also have ten women's teams, including basketball and soccer.
The university's mascot is Sebastian the Ibis, first seen in 1957. The marching band, called Band of the Hour, has 179 members.
Football
The University of Miami football team has won five national championships. These were in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. Many players from the team have gone on to play in the NFL. Eleven of them are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since the 1980s, the football program has become very famous. It has a large and passionate fan base. The team has had many successful players. Its history, including its rise to fame and later challenges, is shown in ESPN documentaries like The U.
The Hurricanes play their home games at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. They have played there since 2007. Before that, they played at the Miami Orange Bowl.
Baseball
The University of Miami baseball team is also very successful. It has won four national championships in 1982, 1985, 1999, and 2001. Many Miami Hurricanes baseball players have become professional players in Major League Baseball.
The baseball team plays its home games at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. This stadium is named after Alex Rodriguez, a famous baseball player who helped fund its renovation. The team's mascot is the Miami Maniac.
Men's and Women's Basketball
The University of Miami's men's basketball team has reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament five times. They reached the Elite Eight twice and the Final Four once in 2022–2023. Many players have gone on to play in the NBA.
The University of Miami's women's basketball team reached the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time in 2022–23. Some of its players have gone on to play in the WNBA.
Both basketball teams play their home games at Watsco Center. This is an 8,000-seat indoor stadium on the university campus.
Other Sports
The University of Miami women's soccer team and its track and field teams play their home games at Cobb Stadium. This stadium opened in 1999 on the university campus.
People
Notable Alumni
Many former students of the University of Miami have become famous in their fields. These include former presidents of countries like Honduras and Peru. There are also famous economists, poets, and actors like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Many Grammy Award-winning musicians, such as Gloria Estefan and Enrique Iglesias, also went to the University of Miami. The alumni also include business leaders, government officials, scientists, and many professional athletes. Eleven former football players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Notable Faculty
The university's teachers include many famous experts. Four of them have won the Nobel Prize. These include physicists, biochemists, and writers. Other notable faculty members include former U.S. ambassadors, historians, economists, and musicians.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de Miami para niños
