UF nabbed a spot on Forbes’ list of America’s 100 top colleges.
UF jumped from 80th to 74th place between 2012 and 2013, making it 41st in research and 11th overall in the South.
UF was the only school in Florida to make the top 100, and among the SEC schools on the list, it ranked second just behind Vanderbilt University.
“I’m always going to think we should be ranked higher,” UF spokesman Steve Orlando said. “I think UF is a terrific school, and a lot of people recognize that.”
People should notice that UF is climbing, Orlando said.
Graduation rates are growing, and there is increasing interest in UF graduates from employers, he said.
Forbes created its list based on five factors: student satisfaction, post-graduation success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and nationally competitive awards.
UF advertising junior David “Tres” Moore, 21, said he thinks UF has a lot more to be proud of.
“An SEC college sports atmosphere is something only 14 schools in the entire world can understand,” he said. “Then there is our solid Greek life, tons of cool places to eat, and all sorts of bars and clubs.”
According to UF’s website, 96 percent of freshmen return for their sophomore year. Two-thirds of UF graduates leave the university with no student loan debt. Sixty-five percent of UF freshmen graduate in four years and 83 percent graduate in six years.
