St. Thomas University

What St. Thomas University does

St. Thomas University is a private Catholic university founded in 1961 (originally as Biscayne College) and headquartered on an 80-acre campus in Miami Gardens, Florida, with 501–1,000 employees. The institution operates six academic colleges — Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the Gus Machado College of Business, the College of Health Sciences & Technology, the College of Nursing (established as a standalone unit in November 2024), the College of Law, and the John J. Dooner Honors College — alongside two online delivery platforms: STU Global (asynchronous undergraduate programs targeting nontraditional working adults) and STU Online (graduate programs in 8-week terms, including MSN, MBA, DNP, and EdD tracks). Instructional technology centers on Canvas LMS for both online and on-campus course delivery.

The university generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees, on-campus housing and dining contracts ($2,600–$9,250 per semester for housing; $2,970–$3,180 per semester for meal plans), and ancillary athletics income under the NAIA Bobcats brand. Pricing is structured around accessibility — 100% of first-year students receive renewable scholarships, international and transfer scholarships scale by GPA, and a $0 May Term initiative (May 2026) waives full tuition, fees, books, and materials for one online course to recruit adult learners. The go-to-market motion is admissions-led with rolling enrollment, a $4,000 Campus Visit Award incentive, dual-enrollment partnerships with high schools, and self-serve online enrollment through STU Global and STU Online.

STU serves a diversified student base spanning traditional undergraduates, nontraditional/working adults, graduate students, law students, transfer students, international students, and dual-enrolled high schoolers. The institution has grown on-campus population roughly threefold over the past eight years, posted eight consecutive years of record enrollment (Fall 2026 incoming class of approximately 1,200 new students), added approximately 500,000 square feet of facilities since 2021, and scaled its nursing program from 13 students in 2020 to over 1,700 — supported by a 100% NCLEX passage rate through March 2025.

Name

St. Thomas University

Legal name

St. Thomas University

Website

https://stu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

St. Thomas University is a private Catholic university in Miami Gardens, Florida, founded in 1961, offering undergraduate, graduate, law, and nursing programs across six colleges plus the STU Global and STU Online platforms, serving traditional students, working adults, and international learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Online undergraduate degrees
• Graduate professional programs
• Law school education
• Nursing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Opa Locka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition across undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional programs (law). Revenue driven by enrollment volume with 100% of first-year students receiving financial aid.
2. Housing and Dining: On-campus housing contracts (fall and spring semesters) with mandatory meal plans. Housing rates range from $2,600-$9,250 per semester; meal plans from $2,970-$3,180 per semester.
3. Athletics: NAIA athletics programs generating revenue through Bobcat Athletics brand, game attendance, and merchandise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

St. Thomas University is a private Catholic university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree programs through six academic colleges and dedicated online platforms. Programs are delivered on a residential 80-acre campus in Miami Gardens, FL and through 100% online asynchronous channels (STU Global for undergraduates and STU Online for graduate students). The portfolio spans Business, Nursing, Law, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Education, and specialty certificates, with merit- and need-based scholarships awarded to 100% of first-year students.

Product overview

St. Thomas University is a Miami Catholic University offering a comprehensive academic portfolio across multiple colleges and online platforms. The university operates through STU Global (online undergraduate programs) and STU Online (online graduate programs) as its primary digital delivery platforms, alongside six traditional academic colleges: College of Nursing, College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, College of Health Sciences & Technology, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Additional programs include the Honors College, Study Abroad, Dual Enrollment, and the new Center for Learning Differences. The university uses Canvas LMS as its learning management system for course delivery across both online and on-campus programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College of Law: Full law school with Juris Doctor, Human Rights LL.M. and J.S.D. programs, located at a separate campus
• Gus Machado College of Business
• Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• College of Nursing
• College of Health Sciences & Technology
• John J. Dooner Honors College

Products and services

• STU Global 100% online, asynchronous undergraduate degree programs for nontraditional students and working adults, offering BBAs in Management, Finance, Marketing Management, and Sports Administration, plus BAs in Organizational Leadership and Catholic Education.
• STU Online

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% NCLEX passage rate for nursing students (2024-March 2025)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Education partnership offering ADHA's 220,000+ members preferred tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate programs at STU. Collaboration includes exploring development of what would be the first PhD in Dental Hygiene in the United States, focusing on leadership, education, and research preparation to address workforce demands and academic faculty shortages.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Miami: Private research university in Coral Gables with top-ranked law school, nursing, and business programs. Operates in the same Miami market at a higher price tier and brand premium, often capturing students STU also targets.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit university with dominant online undergraduate programs targeting working adults. Sets the benchmark that STU Global and STU Online must compete against in the online adult-learner segment nationally.
• Florida International University: Large public research university in Miami with extensive nursing, business, and law programs. Competes in the same Miami metro for both traditional and adult learners, but at significantly larger scale and lower price point.

Direct peers

• Barry University: Another private Catholic university in Miami Shores, FL with comparable nursing, business, and law programs. Directly competes for the same South Florida student base and similar adult-learner segments via its online division.
• Sacred Heart University: Private Catholic university in Fairfield, CT with strong nursing, business, and online graduate programs. Comparable in faith-affiliated identity, accelerated online growth, and recent facility/campus expansion profile.
• Ave Maria University: Private Catholic university in Ave Maria, FL with comparable faith-affiliated identity, undergraduate focus, and small private scale. Competes for Catholic-identity-seeking students nationally.
• Nova Southeastern University: Private nonprofit university in Davie, FL offering law, business, nursing, and health sciences across online and on-campus modalities. Competes head-to-head in graduate professional programs and South Florida recruitment.
• AdventHealth University: Private Seventh-day Adventist health-sciences-focused university in Orlando, FL with strong nursing programs. Comparable in faith affiliation, healthcare focus, and adult-learner online growth strategy.

Regional players

• Palm Beach Atlantic University: Private Christian university in West Palm Beach offering undergraduate, graduate, and the Gregory School of Pharmacy. Comparable in mission, scale, and adult-learner focus to STU.
• Florida Memorial University: Private HBCU in Miami Gardens, FL offering business, education, and liberal arts programs. Closely co-located competitor sharing similar student demographics and South Florida recruitment territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StThomasUniv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/stthomasuniversityfl
• Facebookfacebook.com/151118480315
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/stumiami
• Instagraminstagram.com/stumiami
• TikToktiktok.com/@stumiami

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Thomas University