Located almost wholly on the far south-eastern peninsula of the US, Florida is home to over 1,200 miles of coastline, a renowned golfing
scene and a climate that ranges from subtropical to tropical with a strong chance of humidity, hurricanes and unabating heat. The changeable climate is sometimes said to make Florida’s inhabitants a bit crazy, but at least there’s never a dull moment.
And if you’re looking to study in Florida, you’ll be interested to hear that four of the state’s universities feature in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings®, and these are widely spread across the state. Choosing exactly where to study in Florida will largely be down to which institution best matches your academic background and ambitions, but you may also want to consider which part of the state you’d most like to live in. Here’s a quick guide to what the ‘Sunshine State’ has to offer, starting with a look at the top universities in Florida and followed by an overview of major cities and Florida facts.
Top universities in Florida
Four universities in Florida rank among the world’s best, in the 2013/14 QS World University Rankings. Three of these are public universities and one (the University of Miami) private. All of these the top universities in Florida are comprehensive institutions, offering courses in a wide range of subject areas.
University of Florida
The highest ranked among universities in Florida is the University of Florida, which is currently placed 179th in the world and 48th in the US. The school has an enrolment of just under 50,000 students, of which 17,000 are postgraduates. The University of Florida’s campus is situated inland in the city of Gainesville and, despite its lack of beaches, offers a high quality of living, with relatively low living costs and a good share of the state’s famous sunshine.
University of Miami
The University of Miami, ranked 232nd in the world and 55thin the US, trumps the landlocked University of Florida with its close proximity to Miami’s long stretches of sand and sea. A private university, it has a much smaller student population of just 15,600. It teaches across a broad subject spectrum, including graduate schools of medicine and law.
Florida State University
At the opposite end of the Florida in state capital Tallahassee is the flagship Florida State University. The university is currently ranked 421-430 in the world and 87th in the US and enrols 41,700 students. A large public research university, it has courses in pretty much every subject you can think of, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
University of South Florida
Travelling a good 260 miles south along the west coast from Tallahassee, you’ll find the University of South Floridalocated in the city of Tampa. Ranked 501-550 in the world and 103rd in the US, the university offers more 230 degree programs to a student body of over 47,000.
Keep reading to find out more about the cities in which each of these top universities in Florida is located – and some of Florida’s other major attractions.
Florida’s top student cities
Miami
Tallahassee may be the capital of Florida, but Miami, home of the University of Miami, is by far the most populous and best-known city. Located along the south-east coast of the peninsula, Miami has a very distinct atmosphere. A population that is two-thirds Hispanic means that Spanish is often the language overheard in the city’s beach-front cafés and cosmopolitan bars. Renowned for high rates of crime and poverty in the 70s and 80s, Miami now enjoys an affluence and optimism afforded by the strengthening of the Latin American economy and the modernization of the famous three-mile-long Ocean Drive, known for its Art Deco style hotels.
Fort Lauderdale
North of Miami on the west coast is the affluent city of Fort Lauderdale, known for its party atmosphere and therefore a popular Spring Break destination for students. Having matured in the last few years however, the city has become a much more sophisticated affair. While still appealing to student party animals across the country with a large number of bars and nightclubs, Fort Lauderdale can also offer brilliant places to eat, drink, and shop both along the coastline and inland towards Las Olas Boulevard.
St Augustine
Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St Augustine was the very first permanent European settlement in the US. Closest to the student city of Gainesville, St Augustine can offer more than just tourist littered beaches. Come to the city for its Mediterranean history, as well as to bask in the Mediterranean feel of the cafés and cobbled coastal streets. This is a city which – as you’re passed by locals in period dress on horse-drawn carriages – will make you feel lost in time. The historic cos-play may strike some as a little artificial, but unlike the theme-parks a few hours south, these buildings and relics are as authentic as they come.
Tampa
Another Spring Breakers’ paradise, this time on the doorstep of the University of South Florida, Tampa Bay captures the tourism spillover from Orlando’s theme park resorts as well as the Latino culture blown inland from the Gulf of Mexico to the Cuban enclave of Ybor City. Tampa, although a business district first and foremost, offers the famous St Petersburg Beaches, as well as a string of barrier-island beaches perfect for those students wanting an island lifestyle with a cosmopolitan feel.
The Florida Keys
The Florida Keys is a chain of islands 100 miles long, ending just 90 miles short of Cuba. Closest to those studying at the University of Miami, the Keys are a nearby paradise for outdoorsy types tired of the city grind. The Keys offer a myriad of beautiful places to snorkel and dive, including the Florida Reef, a huge area of living coral just a few miles offshore. The ultimate destination for many, however, is Key West, the end of the 100-mile stretch before a great expanse of ocean. Known as the ‘Conch Republic’, Key West is both lively and laid-back, with a Caribbean feel to its bars and streets. The only downside is that you might not want to go back to the artificial lights of the lecture hall.
The Everglades
The Everglades National Park forms a large part of southern Florida, taking over almost the entire tip of the peninsula. Again, the University of Miami is the most proximate but a weekend visit to The Everglades should tempt students based at any of the universities in Florida.
Contrary to popular belief, The Everglades are not stagnant swamps, but actually slow moving wet prairies destined for the ocean. The place offers a truly unique ecosystem with a subtropical climate, and is almost uninhabitable for humans, meaning a guided tour is often necessary. Alligators, Florida’s official state reptile, dominate these waters along with bottlenose dolphins, manatees and crocodiles (The Everglades are the only place in the world where both crocodiles and alligators live side by side). Outside of the water, bald eagles, ospreys and snowy egrets can be spotted amongst the endless sprawls of sawgrass and mangrove bushes. Students come to The Everglades not only to sight-see but also to hike, bike, canoe, kayak, boat, camp and fish.
Orlando
Central Florida, the expanse between the east and west coasts, gives you the city of Orlando, home of Mickey Mouse et al. What used to be a farming town became a tourist destination in the 1970s and perhaps the busiest part of the state became the ugliest. All of the four top universities in Florida are located outside of this sweaty, cement-ridden city, fortunately, but for those students looking for a bit of Disney magic during term-time or holidays the rides are less than a day-trip away – it’s about an hour’s drive from the University of South Florida, one hour forty from the University of Florida, while Florida State University and the University of Miami are both just over three and a half hour’s away.
Although visiting the theme parks is probably not something you’ll be able to afford to do weekly or even termly while you study in Florida, Orlando certainly offers lots of attractions to help relieve final exams stress, including Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Studios, LEGOLAND, Islands of Adventure and Dinosaur Land.
Florida facts
- Florida shares borders with Georgia and Alabama to the north, the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
- Hurricane season is June to November.
- It’s not just the tourist industry that dominates Florida. The citrus industry is also big business in the region, generating 76,000 jobs and more than US$9 billion for the economy every year.
- The capital of Florida is Tallahassee and the largest city by area is Jacksonville, but Miami has the largest population by far.
- The Disney World theme park in Orlando covers a massive 30,500 acres (123 sq km).
- Florida produces approximately 75% of the US citrus fruit market and 40% of the world’s orange juice supply. It is second only to Brazil in orange production.
- In a 2013 survey by Chief Executive.net, US CEOs voted Florida the second-best state for business, after Texas.
- Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District boasts the world’s largest collection of Art Deco architecture.
- Miami is the backdrop to many films including Bad Boys, Iron Man 3, There’s Something About Mary, Miami Vice and Marilyn Monroe’s Some Like it Hot.
- Florida has more than 1,300 golf courses, the most of any US state.
- The state is home to over a million alligators. The word ‘alligator’ comes from the Spanish ‘el legarto’ meaning ‘the lizard’ and was the name given to the animal by Florida’s early Spanish settlers.