Anne Geggis
Florida State University continues to score at the top of its class, ranked for its fourth straight year as No. 19 among the Top 20 Public Schools in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual standings.
University officials have their eyes locked on moving up, says an FSU news release.
“These rankings reflect total excellence across the university,” said FSU President Richard McCullough. “We’re competing at the highest levels with the best universities in the world, and our goal is to continue to rise to the Top 15 and beyond.”
In its rankings for Top Public Schools, U.S. News & World Report considers metrics such as the level of alumni giving, how selective a school is in choosing entrants, and the number of faculty who hold a terminal degree in their field. A lower level of student debt after graduation also boosted FSU, said school officials.
U.S. News also recognized the university for providing a top-quality education at an affordable price, ranking FSU as the No. 8 Best Value College in the nation among public universities. It was a slip from the No. 5 position last year but the highest ranking among all the state universities in Florida.
“People talk about affordability and access in higher education all the time, but we actually deliver,” McCullough said. “Our tuition is among the lowest in the nation, and we work really hard at the individual student level to provide scholarships rather than have students take loans.”
According to U.S. News, the state-supported university of more than 32,000 undergraduates has other bragging rights. As it was last year, FSU was judged No. 55 among all national universities, both public and private.
FSU posted its highest-ever score in the way other schools assess the university. And the rate at which students graduate also helped power its rankings. Officials said this measure compares the actual graduation rate and the predicted rate, which U.S. News calculates based on the university’s resources and student profile.
“We’ve done a lot of great things when it comes to student success, and we’re continuing to invest a lot of resources in these areas,” McCullough said. “Our faculty and staff are dedicated to making sure every student who comes to Florida State has a chance to graduate, regardless of their background, and we’re very proud of that.”
