Is the University of Florida or the University of Miami better for a big campus feel?

The University of Florida is the one that more clearly delivers a traditional big-campus feel. UF has a more expansive campus, and a true college-town setting in Gainesville, so the university tends to shape the rhythm of daily life in a way that feels distinctly collegiate. It also has the kind of active campus atmosphere many students picture, with major school spirit, sports, and a lot happening on and around campus.

UF tends to fit students who want the campus itself to be the center of everything. Gainesville is built much more around the university, so when you leave class, the restaurants, apartments, events, and social scene still feel tied to student life. That creates a stronger sense of being in a self-contained college environment rather than just attending a school inside a larger metro area.

The University of Miami can still feel lively, but it is a different kind of experience. It suits students who like having a defined campus while also being closely connected to a broader city environment. Its Coral Gables location is attractive and the campus is polished, but it usually feels less like a huge standalone college world and more like a private university embedded in the Miami area.

For the specific things you named, big, active, and clearly set apart from the city, UF lines up more closely. Miami has plenty going on, but the surrounding urban setting plays a bigger role in the experience, while UF feels more like the classic large public university campus that anchors the whole community.