Recent graduates of the University of Florida received one of the best bargains in the nation in terms of the cost of their education compared to career earnings, according to a study by SmartMoney magazine.
In a look at 50 universities, both public and private, the straight up comparison -- factors such as financial aid were not used -- placed the Gainesville campus in second place for cost of college against future earnings, found SmartMoney, The Wall Street Journals business magazine.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, told the Independent Alligator that most UF undergraduate students paid in-state tuition and got financial aid.
When you take those two things into account, it makes the picture brighter, he said.
No other Florida university, public or private, was looked at in the study.
(View the list in the attachment here.)
Gov. Rick Scott highlighted the findings.
We want all of our Florida colleges and universities to be a tremendous investment for students and parents, by graduating students who go on to rewarding careers, Scott stated in a release on Wednesday.
Congratulations to the University of Florida for ranking No. 2 in the country by SmartMoney magazine as the best academic deal in America. They stand out for not only their great outcomes, but their cost-efficient investment.
The list was topped by the engineering-centered Georgia Institute of Technology, where recent graduates had a median income of $59,000 a year after paying $87,810 in tuition and fees to earn their degrees. Alumni who have been in the work force for about 15 years, who paid about $30,249 for their education in the late 1990s, now have a median income of $102,000 a year, according to SmartMoney.
Meanwhile, recent gator alumni, who paid $73,476 for school, were earning $46,200. Those at the midpoint of their careers, with a vastly less expensive education of $26,850, were now earning $80,800.
Ivy League schools on the list sat in the middle of the pack.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.
