The 2015 U.S. News & World Report ranking of the nation’s top universities is here. While Florida State University’s numbers dropped, UF moved up one spot to 48 for its national university ranking.
In the public university rankings, UF held its place for the second year at No. 14 even as the university’s administrators continue the push for a top 10 ranking.
The U.S. News rankings are based on “reliable indicators of academic quality” and a “researched view of what matters in education.”
“We held our ground and remain in good company with some of the nation’s best public universities,” UF President Bernie Machen said in a statement. “UF’s Preeminence Plan is a long-range plan. We have already hired 52 of the best faculty from around the world just this year, and we’re optimistic that the plan will bear fruit as it continues to gain momentum.”
Jane Smith, a UF mathematics lecturer, said even if UF makes it to the top 10, the prestige of the university in the eyes of prospective students will remain strong.
“This is the best university in Florida,” she said. “Overall rankings (are) not affecting… the population that we get.”
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 9/11/2014 under the headline "UF rises in top US college rankings "]
