Miami Dade College (mdc.edu) had less than 1,500 students when it opened its doors as Dade County Junior College in the 1960s. At the time of publication, it had more than 170,000 students working toward degrees in 300 program areas. The college is spread out over eight campuses plus research centers. Each campus offers general education courses but each also specializes in a specific area, such as nursing or mechanics. The college's name was changed to Miami Dade College when it began offering four-year degrees in 2003 in addition to vocational and associate degrees.
The Miami area is home to two universities that are known for their research work. Florida International University (fiu.edu) is a public research university that has a student body of 44,000 students. The university had humble beginnings at an abandoned airfield, but now has campuses located throughout Miami. It offers baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees in 200 areas.
The University of Miami (miami.edu), located in nearby Coral Gables, is a private research university with an estimated 15,000 students. The university, which was founded in 1925, spends $339 million annually on various research projects, most of which are conducted by the the university's Miller School of Medicine.
Miami also has its share of private religious colleges. One is St. Thomas University (stu.edu), which was founded by Augustinian friars in 1961. It was originally known as Biscayne College but changed its name when it became part of the Archdiocese of Miami in 1988. The new name reflects its Cuban heritage as the friars who founded Biscayne College had been affiliated with the Universidad de Santo Tomas de Villanueva in Havana.
Another religious college in Miami is the Yeshiva Gedolah Rabbinical College (lecfl.com), which is affiliated with the Lubavitch Educational Center. The college offers bachelor's and master's degrees in rabbinical studies leading to ordination as a rabbi. The accredited college was established in 1972.
Miami specialty colleges run the gamut from business colleges and nursing schools to cooking institutes. One such college is the Miami International University of Art & Design. The college offers associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in various subjects ranging from fashion design and photography to advertising and digital media. The Miami university, one of 45 schools making up The Art Institutes (artinstitutes.edu), was established in 1965. The university has a career services department that helps students find jobs after graduation.