Florida universities continue to make their mark as some of the top colleges in the country, according to a new set of rankings released this week by U.S. News and World Report.
Florida Gators once again found themselves the top dog, placing higher than any other public school on the list in the Sunshine State.
UF tied for No. 48 with four other schools, all of them private, including the University of Miami. When it came to public universities, the Gators were ranked No. 14 for best public schools by U.S. News.
UF has repeatedly said it intends to improve its ranking steadily, with its ultimate goal to become a top 10 public research university. In order to rise up in the rankings, the university created a five-year, $150 million plan to hire new faculty members and add facilities to the universitys campus.
UF President Bernie Machen was optimistic that the Gators are on the right track to meet that goal.
"We have already hired 52 of the best faculty from around the world just this year, and were optimistic that the plan will bear fruit as it continues to gain momentum, he said in a statement.
"UF is a comprehensive university. We try to succeed in all of these endeavors we engage in," UF Provost Joe Glover told Sunshine State News. "We think we do very well for the undergraduate and graduate students, we think we do tremendous work in research and our objective is to continue to improve our standing and make sure people understand that."
UF wasnt the only Florida school that ranked in the top 100 in the U.S News rankings -- Florida State University came in at No. 95 of the nations best universities, tied with four other schools for the spot.
When it came to the rankings of the best public universities, however, the Seminoles dropped a few notches this year. They ranked No. 43 on the list of the countrys best public universities, down from 40 last year.
Interim FSU president Garnett Stokes did not seem to pay too much mind to the rankings, instead focusing on the possibility the Seminoles would place higher in the coming years.
The long-term investments we are making should be reflected in the U.S. News & World Report rankings in the coming years as we continue to pursue recognition among the nations top 25 universities, he said in a statement.
Stokes pointed to new faculty hires and a new curriculum plan as two ways the university can help climb in the rankings.
Dennis Schnittker, director of university news and digital communications, told SSN he didnt anticipate a drop in applications or interest in the school as a result of the latest rankings.
FSU receives on average 38,000 enrollment applications each year for about 6,100 freshman spots. Not only are we very popular, but the freshmen we are admitting have higher SAT scores, GPAs, etc. than ever, he said. We are getting the best and brightest students, and the quality has been increasing steadily every year.
Other Florida universities placing on U.S. News rankings included the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida, which ranked No. 161 and No. 173, respectively, this year.
Rollins College and Stetson University, which both placed in the top 10 for regional universities in the South, came in at at No. 2 and No. 6, respectively.
Reach Tampa-based reporter Allison Nielsen via email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen
