FSU Continues to Move Up US News College Rankings

In the 2018 Best Colleges Rankings released by U.S. News and World Report, Florida State came in 33rd tied with Michigan State University, North Carolina State University, the University of California-Santa Cruz and the University of Delaware for best public university in the United States.

FSU has moved up ten spots in the coveted rankings since 2016. In 2016 FSU ranked 43rd and in 2017 moved to 38th.

Peyton Carper, who covers FSU for The Tab, a blog devoted to college and youth culture, wrote that  “FSU’s rise in the rankings likely stem from our increase in graduation rate in the past few years; as of Spring 2017, our four-year graduation rate was 65.3%, and our six-year graduation rate was 80%. Our freshman retention rate is 93%, which ranks eighteenth in the nation.”

Rankings are calculated based on seven factors: graduation rates and freshman retention rates (which weighs 22.5%); an assessment of excellence, which takes into account peer and high school counselor assessment (22.5%); faculty resources (20%); student selectivity (12.5%); financial resources (10%); the difference between actual and predicted graduate rates (7.5%); and alumni giving (5%).

The undergraduate business program ranking, based on peer assessment, moved up fourteen spots to #27 among public universities.

FSU ranks #81 among all universities in the U.S. which is an eleven-spot jump since last year’s #92.

In late 2016 President John Thrasher explained that FSU  was seeking resources to improve student-faculty ratio and retain current faculty.

“I think you’ll agree that hiring more faculty and retaining the ones we have enhances the learning experience for both students and faculty,” Thrasher said.

“We have set a goal to be a Top 25 public university, and we have charted a course to get there,” Thrasher said. “I believe we can do it because I believe in Florida State.”

Also in 2016, the university posted a record fundraising year, including a $100 million gift from Jan Moran and the Jim Moran Foundation.

University of Florida came in #9 among public universities and #42 in the national rankings.

The ACC was represented in the top public school rankings with the University of Virginia at #3, University of North Carolina at #5, and the Georgia Institute of Technology at #7.

For more information about the rankings system, or to view rankings for other universities, visit usnews.com/best-colleges.

  FSU, US News Rankings