| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private university, 100% online |
| Where | Online only; administrative office in Miami, FL |
| Languages | English and Spanish |
| Credentials | Associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees |
| Typical length | AS 60 credits; BS 120; master’s 40 (MS in AI 18 months); doctorates 60; 8-week terms |
| Accreditation | DEAC, initial accreditation June 2024, through June 2027 |
| State license | Florida Commission for Independent Education, License #5000 (since June 2013) |
| Federal aid | No |
| Founded / group | 2013; part of the Humboldt Group, founded in Spain in 1958 |
| Facts checked | 18 October 2026 |
A 100% online university with a Miami office, not a trade school
Humboldt International University (HIU) is a private university with an office in Miami, Florida, and no physical classrooms: every program is taught online, in English or Spanish. It belongs to the Humboldt Group, an education group founded in Spain in 1958, and was created and approved in June 2013. The Florida Commission for Independent Education licenses it under License #5000, and the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) granted it initial accreditation in June 2024. HIU says most of its students are working adults, the majority living in Florida, with others elsewhere in the US and in Latin America. It awards associate to doctoral degrees in business, information technology, leadership, education and artificial intelligence. None of them is hands-on trade training, and HIU does not take federal financial aid. We found no published enrollment count.
Eight online degrees, from associate to doctorate
| Program | Credential | Credits | Delivery | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | Associate of Science | 60 | Online | Marketing or International Business concentration |
| Information Technology | Associate of Science | 60 | Online | Entry-level system specialist and user support |
| Business Administration | Bachelor of Science | 120 | Online | Marketing, International Business or Entrepreneurship |
| Business Administration | Master of Science | 40 | Online | HIU calls it an intensive online MBA |
| Organizational Leadership | Master of Science | 40 | Online | Business or Education concentration |
| Artificial Intelligence | Master of Science | 40 | Online, 18 months | Approved by DEAC in January 2026 |
| Business Administration | Doctor of Business Administration | 60 | Online | Dissertation-based |
| Education | Doctor of Education | 60 | Online | Leadership and research; no teacher licensure |
All programs run online in 8-week terms, and students typically take 3 to 6 credits a term. Apart from the MS in Artificial Intelligence (18 months), HIU does not publish program lengths in months. No program includes an externship, clinical placement or licensure exam, and HIU names no programmatic accreditation, such as ACBSP or IACBE for business or CAEP for education. The Associate of Science in Health Information Management, which DEAC’s 2024 accreditation covered, is no longer listed on HIU’s site.
What the main programs cover
Associate of Science in Information Technology
The 60-credit degree pairs 15 general-education credits with a 45-credit core aimed at entry-level system specialist and user support work. Core courses include Service Desk Concepts, Hardware Operations, Networking Management Fundamentals, Fundamentals of Database Systems, Web Page Development Concepts and Computer Programming Fundamentals, and the degree ends with an Associate Capstone. The program page names no internship and no industry certification such as CompTIA. Applicants need a high-school diploma, GED or associate degree and must be at least 18.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
The 120-credit bachelor’s has 30 general-education credits, a 69-credit business core and a 21-credit concentration in Marketing, International Business or Entrepreneurship, and it is offered in English and in Spanish. Undergraduate applicants must be at least 18, hold a high-school diploma, GED or associate degree, and send two photo IDs and official transcripts. Transcripts from outside the US are evaluated by a Florida agency approved by the Commission for Independent Education, and the same requirements apply to domestic and international applicants.
Master of Science in Organizational Leadership
This 40-credit master’s has 31 core credits and a 9-credit concentration. The concentration is in Business or Education; the Education concentration covers education management, curriculum and instruction, and learning technologies, but it does not lead to a teaching license, since HIU offers no program that requires professional licensure. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree and a résumé. Each course is asynchronous and includes a one-on-one video session with the instructor between weeks 4 and 7 of the 8-week term.
Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence
HIU’s newest degree is a 40-credit master’s that runs about 18 months and is offered in English and in Spanish. DEAC approved it as a substantive change at its 30 January 2026 meeting and classed it as a program in a field unrelated to HIU’s existing degrees, according to the DEAC Commission report of February 2026. DEAC requires a site visit 6 to 12 months after the first students enroll. Like HIU’s other master’s degrees, it admits applicants with a bachelor’s degree and a résumé.
Doctor of Education
The Doctor of Education offers concentrations in Instructional Leadership or Educational Systems and Environments and is aimed, in HIU’s words, at “university faculty, senior-level educational leaders, and policymakers.” It is a leadership and research degree and does not lead to teacher licensure. The program page gives 60 credits in its header, but its course list adds up to 69, so ask HIU for the current total. Applicants need a master’s degree with a minimum grade average of about 80 out of 100 or equivalent, a CV and an essay.
Tuition, fees and paying without federal aid
HIU charges by program level, with no in-state or out-of-state rates. The figures below are the school’s posted rates from its financial services page, which carries no date and says prices can change without notice, so confirm them with Admissions for 2026-27. The tuition totals are our arithmetic from the per-credit rate.
- Undergraduate: $150 per credit, about $9,000 in tuition for a 60-credit AS and $18,000 for the 120-credit BS.
- Master’s: $275 per credit, about $11,000 for a 40-credit MS.
- Doctoral: $435 per credit, about $26,100 for a 60-credit DBA or EdD.
- Fees: $100 registration (non-refundable), $30 technology per semester, $150 for the Mastering E-Learning course and $100 graduation. Other listed charges include $150 re-enrollment, $150 transfer-credit evaluation and $450 English-proficiency remedial training and test.
- Books: about $2,000 per program, bought by the student rather than charged by HIU.
HIU does not take part in federal student aid: its transparency statement says its enrollment model does not involve federal financial aid, so Pell Grants and federal student loans cannot be used. HIU offers monthly, semester or whole-program payment plans and scholarships for students who meet its requirements; we found no published scholarship amounts. It says a student’s tuition and fee schedule does not change after enrollment, and a student who cancels within five calendar days gets a full refund. The HIU pages we read do not mention GI Bill approval, so veterans should ask before relying on it.
Admissions and the 8-week schedule
Undergraduate programs admit applicants aged 18 or older with a high-school diploma, GED or associate degree; master’s programs need a bachelor’s degree and a résumé, and doctoral programs a master’s degree, a CV and an essay. HIU does not publish an acceptance rate. Classes are asynchronous, in 8-week terms with five terms a year, and each course includes a one-on-one video session with the instructor. Payment is accepted by cash, check, money order, bank transfer or PayPal.
Accreditation and graduation rates
DEAC granted HIU initial institutional accreditation at its 21 June 2024 meeting, through June 2027, according to the DEAC Commission report of July 2024, so a reaccreditation decision is due by June 2027. DEAC is recognized by the US Department of Education and CHEA, and its Commission reports from 2025 and 2026 list no adverse action against HIU. The Florida Commission for Independent Education license dates from June 2013; it is a state license to operate, separate from accreditation. We found no lawsuits, settlements or state actions involving HIU from 2023 to 2026.
For the 2025 assessment year, HIU reports a 62.2% overall graduation rate within 150% of normal program length (78.3% for doctoral students) and 64.4% overall retention, on its student achievement page. Retention is lower at the undergraduate levels: 42.9% for associate and 44.4% for bachelor’s students. HIU does not publish cohort sizes, and program-level rates as low as 25% or as high as 100% point to very small groups. It publishes no job placement rate, and none of its programs leads to a licensure exam.
Before you enroll
- This is not trade training. HIU’s degrees are in business, IT, leadership, education and AI, all taught online with no externships, clinical placements or licensure preparation.
- You pay without federal aid. Pell Grants and federal loans cannot be used, so plan on payment plans, a scholarship or your own funds.
- Check that your state is covered. HIU is on Florida’s SARA approved-institution list, but California is not a SARA state; California residents and other students outside Florida should confirm with HIU that they can enroll.
- Accreditation is new and comes up for renewal. DEAC’s initial grant runs through June 2027, and DEAC requires a site visit for the MS in Artificial Intelligence after its first students enroll.
- Confirm the price and the credit totals. The posted rates are undated, and the EdD page lists 60 credits in its header but 69 in its course list.
- Undergraduate retention is under half. HIU’s own 2025 figures show 42.9% retention for associate and 44.4% for bachelor’s students.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Business
- Business Administration AS (60 credits; Marketing or International Business concentration)
- Business Administration BS (120 credits; Marketing, International Business or Entrepreneurship)
- Master of Science in Business Administration (40 credits; intensive online MBA)
- Doctor of Business Administration (60 credits; dissertation)
Leadership and Education
- Master of Science in Organizational Leadership (40 credits; Business or Education concentration)
- Doctor of Education (60 credits; no teacher licensure)
Computer and Information Technology
- Information Technology AS (60 credits)
- Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (40 credits, 18 months; new in 2026)
Campus Locations
100% Online