Study abroad at Jacksonville

Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the contiguous United States and the most populous city in the state of Florida, situated along the scenic St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean on Florida's 'First Coast'. Celebrated for its 22 miles of uncrowded Atlantic beaches (Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach), major deep-water international port (JAXPORT), global biomedical hub (Mayo Clinic Florida - one of only three Mayo Clinic campuses in the US, Baptist Health, and UF Health), booming logistics and financial technology sectors (FIS, Fidelity National Financial, CSX Corporation, and Deutsche Bank tech center), and 0% state personal income tax. Jacksonville is home to top-tier higher education institutions: University of North Florida (UNF - major public university with over 17,000 students on a 1,381-acre campus designated as a state nature preserve), renowned for the Coggin College of Business (AACSB-accredited, with the flagship Transportation & Logistics program ranked top 5 in the US), School of Computing (Cybersecurity, Data Science, and Software Engineering), Brooks College of Health (top-ranked Nursing and Physical Therapy), and Taylor Leadership Institute, alongside Jacksonville University (JU - private riverside university renowned for the Davis College of Business & Technology, Davis Aviation Center / commercial flight training, and Marine Science Research Institute), Edward Waters University, and Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from zero state income tax, lower living costs than South Florida, major healthcare and logistics internships, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Jacksonville for international undergraduate students at the University of North Florida (UNF) range between $19,500 and $20,800 per academic year for Transportation & Logistics, Computer Science, Engineering, Coggin Business, and Health Sciences (with UNF offering competitive International Merit Scholarships of $3,000 to $7,500/year to qualified students, bringing net tuition down to approx. $12,500–$16,500/year). At Jacksonville University (JU), undergraduate tuition is approx. $44,500/year with international merit scholarships discounting $15,000 to $25,000/year. Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $15,000 to $24,000 per year. Modern on-campus university residences (UNF Osprey Fountains, Osprey Crossings, The Flats at UNF / JU Oak Hall) cost between $650 and $1,150 per month (inclusive of meal plans and utilities), while off-campus student apartments in Town Center, Southside, and Arlington range from $550 to $950 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $750 and $1,250.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards), the International Center (UNF / JU) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).