Florida International University, commonly referred to as FIU or Florida International, is a public research university whose main campus is located in University Park in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States. Florida International University is a Comprehensive Doctoral Research University with very high research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation. Florida International University is also the youngest university to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter by the Phi Beta Kappa Society, the country's oldest academic honor society. FIU is one of only 78 universities nationwide to hold both designations.

The university comprises 26 separate colleges and schools offering 205 programs of study with more than 280 majors. Florida International University is also the fifth-largest university in Florida and the thirteenth-largest university in the United States in terms of enrollment. For Fall 2007, total enrollment was 38,614 students and 2,974 full-time faculty with more than 150,500 alumni around the world.

The US News and World Report currently ranks FIU as a fourth tier postsecondary institution in the National Universities category. U.S. News & World Report (2007) also ranks the Landon Undergraduate School of Business 7th in the nation and the Chapman Graduate School of Business among the top 20 business schools in the United States for international business. BusinessWeek (2006) ranks the College of Business among the top 15% of graduate business schools in the U.S., 1st in South Florida, and in the top 25 among public business schools.

In 2007, the Florida International University College of Law ranked 1st in the state of Florida with a bar passing rates of 94%, and 1st in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam at 96%.

This recognition comes as the academic quality of the university improves and its admissions rates become more selective. As of 2007, Florida International University attracts more valedictorians from South Florida than any other university in the country. Admission standards have also increased with acceptance rates dropping greatly from 63.2% for Fall 2005 to 37% for Fall 2007. The average incoming freshmen had a SAT score of 1144, a 24 ACT score and a 3.7 high school GPA.