Orlando, Florida, USA
Welcome to "The City Beautiful!"

There's more to Orlando than the world famous tourist attractions. An award winning airport with world wide connections, soaring downtown skyscrapers, crystal clear waterways, and a year-round climate provide an excellent background for study at the University of Central Florida.

High Tech, Low Cost

With 40,000 high-tech workers, Orlando has earned the nickname "Silicon Valley South." Opportunities for internships and careers are available through many of the large government and defense industry contractors, like AT&T and Lockheed Martin. A few miles to the east, the space industry is centered on Cape Canaveral, with even more opportunities. Yet the cost of living is lower in Orlando than the national average, and lower than many U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Denver, Cleveland,Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. New off-campus housing has recently been built, allowing convenient access to classes.

Great Weather and Amenities

Known for its mild climate most of the year, Orlando's outdoor recreation always has something new. There are hundreds of lakes in the area, and miles of city and country trails available for a gentle stroll, or a serious workout on a mountain bike. Swimming is available at a number of nearby springs, where millions of gallons of clear water bubble up from an underground aquifer. Or you may prefer the ocean at nearby Cocoa Beach, where surfers and tanners share the excellent beach with pelicans and sea turtles.

Sports and Athletics

Intramural athletics allow any student to participate in team sports in soccer, baseball, tennis, or many other sports. In varsity level sports, UCF's Golden Knights were recently elevated to the NCAA's division 1-A, competing well against such powerhouses as Nebraska and Florida State University. Professional sports abound in Orlando, with teams such as the Magic, Predators, Jackals, Solar Bears, and Wahoos.

Arts and Entertainment

Who can resist the lure of the great theme parks of the world, especially when they're in your own back yard? Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World head up a list of area attractions that include American mainstays of half a century ago, including Cypress Gardens and the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Spring. The newly opened Orlando Science Museum is a $48 million jewel dazzling kids of all ages and piquing students' interests in science. Music, theatre, dance, and the cinema are available for the viewing, as well as the world's largest collection of Tiffany works of art. From the collection of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, Winter Park, Florida.