Miami University, established by legislative act in 1809, is a body politic and corporate and is the second oldest of the 13 state universities in Ohio. The main campus of the University is located in Oxford, a city of 10,000 approximately 35 miles north of Cincinnati. Regional campuses are maintained in nearby Hamilton and Middletown, and a European Center is operated in Luxembourg. Miami University also includes the Voice of America (VOA) Learning Center in West Chester, Ohio. Miami University has a 2018 fall semester headcount enrollment of 19,934 at the Oxford campus (including students at the Luxembourg and VOA Learning Centers) and a total of 4,482 at the two regional campuses (based on official, October 15 enrollment figures).

The University endeavors to maintain high academic standards while providing educational opportunity to a wide range of students. The University offers programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 133 areas of study, including 115 on the Oxford campus. The master's degree is offered in 65 areas of study. The Ph.D. and Ed.D. degrees are offered in 12 areas of study. A current list of academic programs is available on Miami's webpage for undergraduate and graduate students.

The University is organized academically into seven colleges and schools:

• The College of Arts and Science
• The Farmer School of Business
• The College of Creative Arts
• The College of Education, Health and Society
• The College of Engineering and Computing
• The College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science
• The Graduate School

The University began instruction in 1824. The first degrees were awarded in 1826. In 1902, a teachers college was established; in 1928 it became the School of Education and in 1976 extended its program to include the allied professions. A School of Business Administration was added in 1927. The School of Fine Arts (now the College of Creative Arts), with curricula in architecture, music, painting, printmaking and design, was created in 1929. In 1947, graduate study was incorporated into a Graduate School. The School of Applied Science was organized in 1959. Branch campuses were opened in Middletown and Hamilton in 1966 and 1968, respectively. In 1974, Western College, a 120-year old small private institution adjoining the Oxford campus, became a new division of the University and was named the School of Interdisciplinary Studies (Western College Program). In 2006, the Board of Trustees voted to eliminate Interdisciplinary Studies as a separate division. In 2009, the Voice of America Learning Center was opened in West Chester. In 2013, the College of Professional Studies and Applied Sciences (CPSAS) was created; in 2016, CPSAS changed its name to the College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (CLAAS).

The University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a degree-granting institution at the baccalaureate, master's and doctoral levels, and is accredited by and holds membership in the various professional associations most closely identified with its instructional programs and educational activities.