UF ranked No. 7, FSU No. 18 by U.S. News and World Report
Senate President Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) today released the following statement regarding the announcement that the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) have improved their national rankings, with both ranking as top 20 public universities in the U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges 2020” guidebook. UF is ranked No. 7, while FSU is ranked No. 18. Today’s announcement marks the first time FSU has ranked among the top 25 national public universities.
“I am proud to congratulate the students, faculty, and staff of the University of Florida for their ranking as a top ten public university for the third consecutive year. Additionally, I am pleased to commend the students, faculty, and staff of Florida State University for not only meeting, but well-exceeding their goal of becoming a top 25 public university.
“In particular, I am pleased to applaud my friend, FSU President John Thrasher, on this tremendous accomplishment. President Thrasher’s steadfast vision for FSU, from his service as Speaker of the House to his years as Chair of the FSU Board of Trustees to his terms in the Florida Senate, demonstrates that he has been a lifelong champion for FSU. Today’s announcement is certainly a testament to his enduring commitment to this great university.”
“The vision of two top-25 public universities in our state has been a common goal of university leadership, the Florida Legislature and the State University System Board of Governors for many years. In particular, Senate President Joe Negron made the elevation of our state university system the primary focus of his term as Senate President. I was honored to sponsor Senate Bill 4 (2018), which solidified President Negron’s vision for historic investments in need-based and merit-based student financial aid, as well as significant funding and policy enhancements that give the universities tools they need to better serve students and increase accountability to taxpayers.
“As we move ahead to the 2020 Session, I look forward to working with my colleagues and our partners in both the State University System and our Florida College System to ensure we keep Florida’s higher education system among the top in the nation across all measures, from access, to affordability, to on-time graduation, to job placement in the important occupations needed in our growing communities.”