The Area: Located approximately 30 miles north of Cincinnati and 35 miles southwest of Dayton (and roughly a one-hour drive to the nearest airport), the area surrounding Miami U offers parks, hiking, golf, lakes, and even skiing within a fairly short distance.
The Town: It is a 10-15-minute walk from campus into uptown Oxford, a charming town with approximately 23K permanent residents. Frequently ranking high on lists of top college towns (of a smaller size), Oxford has a great relationship with the college, and students can find dining and shopping on the walkable, brick-paved main street, along with Saturday morning farmer’s markets and evening concerts in the park. In addition to local eateries and shops, there are some big-box stores (like Kroger and Walmart) in the area.
The Campus/Students: Don’t take my word for how lovely this campus is–poet Robert Frost wrote that Miami U was “the most beautiful campus that ever there was.” While large, the 2500-acre campus size is manageable, and students can walk from one end of campus to another in 25-30 minutes. Most daily walks to classes and meals (24 food options) take much less time. The grounds are very well-kept, and the buildings are primarily Georgian red brick with a very traditional college campus feel.
As a public honors college, students take schoolwork seriously, but sports and fun are not missing from this campus. 19% of men and 30% of women engage in Greek life, and free tickets to all home games mean that sporting events are well-attended. Hockey reigns supreme, but the school boasts 19 D1 sports and over 50 club teams. Each semester, there is a campus-wide fair to introduce students to the 600+ clubs and organizations that students have to choose from. The Mock Trial team has a track record of performing well at national competitions. New buildings on campus include an equestrian center and a $20 million Data Science building.
The school is committed to DEI efforts and is working to increase its current 19% underserved student population. Forty percent of students are from out of state.
Academics: Referred to as both a public honors college and a “public Ivy,” Miami is known for strong academics. Most popular are finance, marketing, psychology, and strategic communication. Also strong are nursing, kinesiology, computer science, software engineering, architecture, and interior design. The college requires a liberal arts foundation for all, and students leave campus well-rounded, with 60% graduating with multiple majors or at least one minor.
Miami also offers 35 combined degree programs, including:
3+ 1 Accountancy program
BS/MS Electrical and Computer Engineering Combined Program
Kinesiology, Esports, Sports Analytics, Computer Science, and Entrepreneurship are a few others
Other notable academic programs include:
Direct-entry nursing program
Residential Honors College (10% of students are offered a spot)
New cybersecurity degree
Supported Exploratory Studies major for undecided students
Funded research opportunities, study abroad programs, and popular 3-week Winter Term
Cost: As of Fall 2023, the published total costs of attendance were $34,342 for in-state residents and $56,558 for out-of-state students. The school offers merit awards to many students; the average out-of-state award is $15,418 (per year).
Miami U of Ohio is worth a look for students seeking a balance of academics and fun on a beautiful, traditional-feeling campus. Visit Miami U’s website to learn more and see if this school is a good fit for you.