WalletHub has released its latest report ranking the best universities and colleges across the nation, revealing which institutions in the Sunshine State place among the most elite.
The University of Florida ranks No. 25 overall in the rankings, leading a group of Florida institutions listed in the report’s regional results. Florida State University is the state’s next-highest national finisher, at No. 48.
The rankings draft compares nearly 740 U.S. institutions using 30 measures grouped into several categories, including costs, faculty resources, campus safety, and educational outcomes.
Florida’s top-ranked schools
The University of Florida earned an overall score of 74.44 and ranked seventh in the Southern region of the U.S. as a whole.
Florida State University, meanwhile, scored 71.64, putting it 11th regionally.
Three more Florida universities landed in the national top 125: the University of Miami at No. 124, the University of South Florida at No. 157 and the University of Central Florida at No. 177.
Full Florida ranking
| Nat’l Rank | Florida College/University | Score | Best Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | University of Florida | 74.44 | Educational Outcomes |
| 48 | Florida State University | 71.64 | Educational Outcomes |
| 124 | University of Miami | 63.55 | Student Selectivity |
| 157 | University of South Florida | 61.45 | Student Selectivity |
| 177 | University of Central Florida | 60.81 | Campus Safety |
| 191 | Florida A&M University | 60.29 | Cost & Financing |
| 215 | Florida Polytechnic University | 59.51 | Career Outcomes |
| 240 | Florida International University | 58.83 | Cost & Financing |
| 246 | University of North Florida | 58.57 | Cost & Financing |
| 269 | Florida Southern College | 57.80 | Campus Experience |
| 293 | Rollins College | 57.11 | Student Selectivity |
| 308 | Stetson University | 56.78 | Faculty Resources |
| 365 | University of West Florida | 55.87 | Cost & Financing |
| 425 | Florida Atlantic University | 54.88 | Campus Safety |
| 428 | Jacksonville University | 54.85 | Campus Safety |
| 445 | Eckerd College | 54.56 | Campus Experience |
| 453 | Nova Southeastern University | 54.14 | Campus Safety |
| 490 | Florida Institute of Technology | 53.33 | Campus Safety |
What the rankings measure
The report says it weighs both the college experience and outcomes after attendance, recognizing that price is only one part of a school’s value. Its listed categories include:
- Student Selectivity — Includes admission rates; ACT/SAT scores; and share of freshman in top 10% of high school graduating class.
- Cost & Financing — Includes net cost; availability of employment services for students; and student-loan debt.
- Faculty Resources — Includes student-faculty ratios; average class size; share of full-time professors among full-time instructional staff; share of full-time faculty; and faculty staff salary.
- Campus Safety — Includes on-campus arrests and on-campus crime.
- Campus Experience — Includes share of international students; percentage of students living on campus; NCAA membership; availability of study-abroad program; gender/racial diversity; average earnings from on-campus employment; and presence of placement services for graduates.
- Educational Outcomes — Includes retention rate; graduation rate; and credentials awarded per undergraduate enrollment.
- Career Outcomes — Includes return on educational investment; share of graduates offered full-time employment within six months; post-attendance median salary; share of former students outearning high school graduates; share of students reducing their debt; and student-loan default rate.