Study abroad at Orlando

Orlando (known as 'The City Beautiful') is a world-renowned, booming technological innovation, entertainment, aerospace, simulation, tourism, and higher education metropolis situated in Orange County in central Florida, home to Orlando International Airport (MCO - with direct Brightline high-speed rail connection to Miami). Celebrated for Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando, the massive theme park and creative entertainment industry (Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort - Epic Universe), Lake Nona Medical City (a 650-acre premier biomedical and healthcare cluster), and its status as the Modeling, Simulation & Training capital of the world (Central Florida Research Park - the 7th largest research park in the US, housing Lockheed Martin, Siemens, Northrop Grumman, and the US military simulation commands), with zero state personal income tax (0%). Orlando is the flagship campus home of one of America's largest and most innovative public research universities: University of Central Florida (UCF - established in 1963 to support the US space program at Kennedy Space Center, Carnegie R1 doctoral powerhouse enrolling over 68,000 students on a state-of-the-art 1,415-acre campus centered around the iconic Pegasus circle and UCF Student Union). UCF is globally acclaimed for the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ranked #1 in the nation for graduating engineers to the aerospace and defense industry), College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL - world leader in laser and photonic science), Rosen College of Hospitality Management (ranked #1 in the US and #2 in the world), College of Medicine in Lake Nona, and College of Business, alongside Full Sail University (world-famous for Video Game Design, Film, and Music Production) and Rollins College. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from massive Fortune 500 recruiting, generous UCF International Academic Merit Scholarships ($2,000 to $10,000/year), low in-state living expenses, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in Orlando for international undergraduate students at the University of Central Florida (UCF - Carnegie R1) range between $22,500 and $24,800 per academic year for College of Engineering and Computer Science, CREOL Optics, Rosen Hospitality, and Business Administration (with UCF awarding automatic International Academic Merit Scholarships discounting $2,000 to $10,000/year from tuition for qualified applicants with a GPA of 3.3+, bringing net tuition down to approx. $14,500–$20,500/year). Postgraduate Master's degrees range from $18,000 to $26,000 per year. Modern on-campus university student residences (UCF: Towers at Knights Plaza, Neptune Hall, Lake Claire, Hercules, Nike Communities - fully furnished student suites with high-speed Wi-Fi, utilities, and campus dining halls) cost between $750 and $1,250 per month (inclusive of utilities), while off-campus student apartment complexes in University Boulevard, Alafaya Trail, and Downtown Orlando range from $600 to $1,050 per month. General monthly living expenses range between $850 and $1,350.

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 approx. $24,000), UCF Global 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).