University of Florida – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Bryan Pollard
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — U.S. News and World Report has released the publication’s annual list of the best colleges and universities in the country and the Sunshine State was very well-represented.
UF ranked extremely high among any state university in the national rankings. UF tied for the 28th best overall among national universities and tied fifth overall for any public university in the nation. The University of Florida also had the lowest tuition cost for in-state residents among any of the schools ranked in the Top 50 national universities by U.S. News and World Report.
Only four years ago, UF became the first university in Florida to make the top 10 list with the 2018 U.S. News & World Report rankings. A spot among the top five was a target set by the state Board of Governors and supported by significant spending to hire preeminent faculty members.
In a surprise announcement Monday morning at UF, student Roshawn Reid, a first-generation student from Sunrise, announced the achievement to a room full of government officials and university executives.
“For students, I can tell you this means a lot,” said Reid. Reid is pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in information systems and operations management.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was among the prominent audience members and speakers celebrating alongside.
“Congratulations on really a historic day. Number five in the country is quite impressive. And I know you guys are not done yet,” he said. “To see the increase and constantly doing better, I think it’s something that all Floridians, regardless of what your allegiance is, should feel proud about.”
Since 2017, the University of Florida has advanced nine spots on the public university list.
“UF’s commitment to excellence and continuous improvement has motivated and inspired all 12 of Florida’s public universities to strive for their very best,” said Syd Kitson, chair of the Florida Board of Governors, in a press release. “UF’s accomplishments elevate the entire State University System, which in turn elevate the state of Florida.
The other top four public universities are:
- University of California-Los Angeles
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- University of Virginia
Several other Florida universities did well in the annual rankings, starting with the University of Miami and Florida State University both ranking at number 55. Tampa’s University of South Florida ranked 103rd in the nation among national universities in 2022. The University of Central Florida in Orlando ranked 148th in the nation.
When breaking down the rankings for “regional universities in the South,” Florida did fantastic with Orlando’s Rollins College ranking number one overall. Also performing extremely well were Stetson University at 5th, Florida Southern College at 8th, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at 10th.
Among “regional colleges in the South,” Florida Polytechnic University ranked #3 and Flagler College ranked 4th.
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