UF continued to climb the ranks one year after making a list of top 10 public universities.
UF tied for eighth place with the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 list of top public universities, according to the report. UF placed ninth last year.
No other Florida public university ranked higher than UF, according to the report. Florida State University ranked at 26th, the University of South Florida at 58th place, the University of Central Florida at 87th place and Florida International University at 100th.
“We’re not surprised we went up a step, but it’s always gratifying to be recognized,” UF Provost Joseph Glover said.
UF rose from 42nd to 35th place on the Best National Universities rankings list.
The UF Board of Trustees and UF President Kent Fuchs want to move the university further up the list, Glover said. The ranking helps to attract more students and faculty members.
The university is rated on different factors, including average class size and graduation rates, Glover said. Students, university applicants and faculty understand that UF is a high-achieving university when they see a high ranking, he said. It also gives alumni a reason to donate.
Samantha Miller, a 22-year-old UF mechanical and aerospace engineering senior, said UF’s reputation has given her opportunities like an internship with General Electric.
“I never really thought about rankings coming here,” Miller said. “I guess it was just what the school’s known for and the opportunities I would have.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
UF tied for eighth place in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 list of top public universities. That is one place higher than last year's ranking.
