University of Miami: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Tallahassee, Florida · Public · Selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Miami is a public university in Tallahassee, Florida that admits about 25% of applicants, making it a selective school. The average family pays about $10,997 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Finance and Financial Management Services and Criminal Justice and Corrections, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 86% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Miami is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida with a selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Miami admits between a quarter and half of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 25%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1323 and an ACT composite around 28. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $10,997 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Miami is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What parents should know about University of Miami right now
The University of Miami, founded April 8, 1925 with a 160-acre gift from Coral Gables developer George Merrick, has grown into Florida's most selective private research university. Total enrollment in fall 2025 reached 20,104 students, including 13,241 undergraduates, and admissions selectivity has climbed sharply: the Class of 2027 saw 48,286 applications and an 18.5 percent acceptance rate, with a middle 50 percent SAT range of 1340 to 1450 and a mean SAT for fall 2024 entrants of 1400. The university operates need-blind admission for domestic applicants, and for the Class of 2029 the application pattern shifted decisively toward early plans, with 39 percent of enrollees admitted Early Decision I or II and 38 percent via Early Action, leaving only 23 percent of seats for Regular Decision. Parents should note that this means the strongest aid and admit odds are concentrated in November and January application rounds. Academically, Miami is best known for the Frost School of Music, the triple-crown accredited Miami Herbert Business School, the Miller School of Medicine (ranked 44th nationally), and the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, which operates the world's largest hurricane simulation tank. The university offers 154 undergraduate degree programs and conducts $456 million in annual research expenditures. Estimated annual on-campus undergraduate cost in 2022-2023 was $78,640, and the FAFSA plus CSS Profile are both required for need-based aid consideration each year.
What GPA does my child need for University of Miami?
Admitted students at University of Miami typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does University of Miami weight in admissions?
University of Miami reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Talent/ability
- • Character/personal qualities
- • First generation status
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Recommendations
- • Interview
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
- • Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores University of Miami typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1290 |
| 50th percentile | 1350 |
| 75th percentile | 1400 |
| % submitting SAT | 63.9% |
| 25th percentile | 29 |
| 50th percentile | 30 |
| 75th percentile | 32 |
| % submitting ACT | 36.1% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Policy detail: Required
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort — often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 75.7% |
| Top 25% of class | 90.4% |
| Top 50% of class | 98.4% |
| % submitting class rank | 56.2% |
How much does University of Miami actually cost?
Published tuition is $5,656 for in-state students and $18,786 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,740 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $10,997 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 24% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $4,640 |
| Out-of-state tuition | $19,806 |
| Room and board | $13,474 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $10,997 |
| Application fee | $30 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Miami
| Regular deadline | 3/1/2026 |
| Notification date | 2/12/26 for applications received before 12/1/25 |
| Reply deadline | 5/1 |
| Rolling admissions | Yes |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | 10/15 |
Will my child graduate from University of Miami?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Most popular majors at University of Miami
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Miami, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Finance and Financial Management Services and Criminal Justice and Corrections. Across all programs, University of Miami confers roughly 3,922 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $54,829 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 818 | $54,829 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 589 | $88,996 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 556 | $55,220 |
| Marketing | 494 | $78,277 |
| Political Science and Government | 431 | $69,965 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 367 | $87,830 |
| Biology, General | 347 | $56,744 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 320 | $48,487 |
Is University of Miami safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Miami disclosed 158 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 15 violent offenses and 14 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
What is campus life like at University of Miami?
About 20% of undergraduates at University of Miami live in campus housing, so a meaningful share of students commute or live off campus. In Greek life, 12% of men join a fraternity and 24% of women join a sorority. Residential rate and Greek participation shape day-to-day social life and are worth weighing alongside academics and cost.
Other colleges in Florida parents ask about
- University of Florida24% acceptance
- Florida State University59% acceptance
- University of Central Florida40% acceptance
- University of South Florida-Main Campus41% acceptance
- Florida International University59% acceptance
- University of North Florida57% acceptance
- Florida Atlantic University41% acceptance
- Florida Gulf Coast University86% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Miami
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Miami recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Miami
What GPA do I need for University of Miami?
Admitted students at University of Miami typically present unweighted GPAs in the 3.6–3.9 range with several honors or AP courses.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Miami typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 610–690, with an EBRW midpoint near 640. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 27–31.
How much does University of Miami actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Miami after grants and scholarships is $10,997 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Miami realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Miami is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Miami?
University of Miami accepts about 25% of applicants out of roughly 78,272 who apply each year. That makes it a selective school.
Is University of Miami test-optional?
No. University of Miami requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
What is the graduation rate at University of Miami?
About 86% of students at University of Miami graduate within six years. 96% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
What does University of Miami look for in applicants?
University of Miami rates course rigor as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is University of Miami a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Miami is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida.
What are the most popular majors at University of Miami?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Miami by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Finance and Financial Management Services and Criminal Justice and Corrections. The school awards about 3,922 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Miami safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Miami reported 158 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
What is campus life like at University of Miami?
At University of Miami, 20% of undergraduates live on campus, 12% of men are in fraternities, 24% of women are in sororities, according to its most recent Common Data Set.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Miami, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.