UCF continues to be recognized as one of the nation’s top and most innovative universities — rising as an innovator renowned for science, health and technology education, including nursing, which has rapidly advanced to become one of the nation’s best, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges rankings.
Established in 1963, UCF has accomplished in decades what others have taken a century or more to achieve. Today, UCF ranks No. 14 for Most Innovative School by U.S. News and World Report — moving up six places from last year. Earning this recognition means innovative practices and strategies are embedded across every aspect of what UCF does, from academic offerings to research.
This year’s ranking places UCF as the highest-ranked school in Florida for innovation. UCF has ranked in the top 20 for innovation nationally and has been the highest ranked in Florida for six consecutive years. This recognition positions UCF within the company of top-15 ranked institutions that have been around much longer, including Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Stanford and the University of Michigan.
UCF provides highly qualified and compassionate nurses needed to help solve the national workforce shortage, develops novel technologies to better diagnose diseases and advances space exploration for humankind. These efforts and others contribute to how UCF unleashes the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world — which has earned recognition nationally. UCF is ranked No. 124 among All National Universities — a 13-spot gain over last year. Among Public Universities, UCF is the No. 64 institution.
UCF aspires to be the No. 1 provider of diverse talent, an attribute corporate partners and industry leaders demand of higher education today. Our commitment to social mobility is critical to achieving this aspiration by creating opportunity for earned success. U.S. News & World Reportacknowledges our efforts to empower students from all backgrounds to succeed and earn their degrees with the No. 35 ranking for Top Performers on Social Mobility. Over the past year UCF has risen 24 spots — a significant gain that emphasizes our focus on student success. UCF was also recently recognized by The Wall Street Journal for social mobility efforts — ranking 52nd nationally and 2nd in Florida.
As the nation is dealing with a nursing shortage, using innovate technology like simulation to meet this need is critical to advancing nursing education. UCF is ranked No. 31 for Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs — an incredible 65 spot increase over two years and 20 spot increase from last year.
“UCF’s continued rise in national rankings show the value of our nursing degrees to our communities,” says Mary Lou Sole, dean of UCF’s College of Nursing. “We are fueling the talent pipeline with Knight nurses who receive a high-quality education and are prepared to provide compassionate care and clinical excellence. As we build the College of Nursing for the future, we will unleash more potential in our students, faculty and alumni to continue to innovate nursing education and address the nation’s nursing shortage.”
UCF’s College of Nursing is internationally recognized for its use of simulation, including an accreditation from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. The college is among an elite group of 20 simulation programs worldwide — and the only one in Florida — to earn the Healthcare Simulation Standards endorsement from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
A $5.5 million gift from the Helene Fuld Health Trust will help UCF to remain at the forefront of nursing education and innovation. It will establish a state-of-the-art simulation center at the new, larger nursing teaching facility in Lake Nona’s Medical City. Funded by the Florida Legislature, philanthropic organizations like Dr. Phillips Charities, industry partners such as AdventHealth and Orlando Health, the future College of Nursing building includes learning labs equipped with advanced technology like virtual reality.
