Gabrielle Russon
Florida State University (FSU) is landing national recognition as one of the top 25 public schools in the country, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings.
“FSU maintained its No. 23 spot among public universities, fueled by its impressive 86% six-year graduation and 96% freshman retention rates,” the school said in a press release. “FSU also made gains in categories that measure faculty salaries, full-time faculty, student-faculty ratio and standardized test scores of first-year students.
The school got kudos for its innovation and its experience for first-year students as well.
“Florida State University is dedicated to ensuring that every student has the resources they need to succeed from day one,” FSU President Richard McCullough said in a statement. “We continue to invest in a robust array of student support initiatives, and they are yielding exceptional results.”
FSU checked in at No. 21 among public universities for most innovative. It was also named No. 7 among public institutions and No. 1 in the state of Florida for first-year experiences, which FSU called “a testament to the university’s exceptional support programs that drive student success and foster positive learning outcomes.”
U.S. News & World Report calculates the annual rankings using different data, including student graduation and retention rates, first-generation student success, student-to-faculty ratio, faculty excellence and other information.
The U.S. News Best Colleges guidebook also ranked several FSU academic programs that are continuing to climb upward and gain more attention.
The Florida State University College of Business rose to No. 31 among all of the nation’s undergraduate business programs at public schools after ranking No. 38 last year.
The College of Nursing’s undergraduate program jumped 39 places to No. 33 among public universities.
And FSU’s Real Estate Program jumped to No. 4 among other public schools, a bump from No. 6 last year.
“FSU has a world-class undergraduate education. It really is unmatched,” said Joe O’Shea, associate provost and dean of Undergraduate Studies. “It’s a culture that is special and has been built here over generations. Students at Florida State feel like they belong, like they are part of this institution and that they are cared for, that we have their back, and that the faculty will go above and beyond in and out of the classroom to empower them to grow to their full potential.”
