UF is lucky No. 7.
UF ranked in the top 10 of The Business Journals’ 2015 rankings of public colleges in the U.S. out of 484 schools.
The schools were rated in the categories of selectivity, advancement, prestige, costs, diversity and community. UF received 5-star ratings for all categories, except diversity, which earned two.
UF was ranked behind the University of Michigan; University of North Carolina; University of Virginia; College of William and Mary; University of California, Berkeley; and University California, Los Angeles.
“I think it’s indicative of how much hard work has been done over the years to get us to where we are,” UF spokesman Steve Orlando said.
Orlando said the university has come a long way since he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1986.
He said the UF faculty contribute to the high placement because they are dedicated, talented individuals who take their jobs seriously.
“The most important yardstick of the university is the quality of the education students receive because that’s our No. 1 job,” Orlando said.
UF is ranked as Florida’s top public university, followed by Florida State University at No. 31 overall. Jacob Lehman, a UF computer science senior, said he thinks UF has many strong qualities, including the vast number of clubs and the overall atmosphere of the university.
“We have a really good balance in education and sports for our different programs,” Lehman, 21, said.
[A version of this story ran on page 6 on 2/16/2015 under the headline “UF named 7th best public school"]
• 1. University of Michigan (Michigan)
• 2. University of North Carolina (North Carolina)
• 3. University of Virginia (Virginia)
• 4. College of William and Mary (Virginia)
• 5. University of California-Berkeley (California)
• 6. University of California-Los Angeles (California)
• 7. University of Florida (Florida)
All information from The Business Journals' 2015 rankings.
