University of South Florida is now the fastest-rising public college in the nation.
In their annual report of the nation’s top public universities, U.S. News and World Report placed USF at No. 44, which is 14 spots ahead of the school’s 2018 ranking of no. 58.
USF tied with nine other schools, including Auburn University, University of Utah, University of Oregon and the University of Tennessee.
“Our rise in rankings is a testament to USF’s commitment to research and academic excellence,” said Ralph Wilcox, provost and executive vice president in a statement. “With USF’s stature as a Preeminent Research University, we are dedicated to impactful global research and student success.”
Over the last few years USF has shown tremendous growth. In 2015 the school was near the bottom half of the same ranking, sitting at No. 88. The same publication previously USF as 104th among national universities, 69th among best colleges for veterans, and 60th for best value schools.
“There’s no question Florida is a top-tier destination for tourism and economic growth,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a statement. “Now, these new rankings further solidify Florida as the number one public university system in the country – signaling to any potential employers and industry leaders that Florida will have the workforce and talent pool they need to thrive.”
The annual rankings look at school’s bachelor's degree-granting institutions, average ACT/SAT scores of admitted students, student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, application requirements, tuition and financial aid, student body characteristics and post-graduate employment.
Overall, Florida schools placed well on the list, with University of Florida hitting the top ten at seven, and Florida State University at 18. Surprisingly, University of Central Florida placed at 79.
For the second year in a row, the University of California at Los Angeles was named the top overall public university in the U.S.
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This article appears in Sep 5-12, 2019.