The University of South Florida has reached an all-time high in the annual ranking of America’s Best Colleges by US News & World Report (US News). In the new rankings released today, USF ranks 42nd among all public universities and 97th among all public or private universities. This is the fourth consecutive year that USF has ranked among the top 50 public universities and the first time that USF has entered the top 100 of all universities.
USF continues to hold the distinction of being America’s fastest-growing university, as no university in the nation has moved higher in the rankings in the past 10 years than USF. During this period, USF jumped a remarkable 52 spots among public universities, from #94 to #42, and 73 spots among all universities, from #170 to #97.
“The University of South Florida is proud to have achieved the highest position ever on the U.S. News & World Report rankings and to once again be recognized as America’s fastest growing university,” said said USF President Rhea Law. “USF’s position in the rankings is a testament to the hard work and success of our faculty, staff, and students, who impact our communities every day. We will continue to help shape the future of our company while pursuing our goal of becoming one of the top 25 public universities.”
The US News methodology combines a multitude of factors, including student graduation and retention rates, class size, student debt, faculty excellence, and academic reputation. USF ranks ahead of, or is tied with, six public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities, the top 65 research universities in North America that USF aspires to be eligible for future membership.
Achieving its highest-ever US News ranking position continues a historic streak of achievement for USF. The university recently welcomed its largest class of freshmen and received the most applications from prospective history students, announced a record fundraising year and experienced a transformational state budget.
