Capital Soup

Florida News Straight From the Source

You are here: Home / Archives for U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report

Gov. Scott: Florida Universities Continue to Climb National Rankings

Posted on

Following the release of the U.S. News & World Report rankings showing the University of Florida ranking 8th in the nation among public universities, Governor Rick Scott today made the following statement.

Governor Scott said, “When I took office, the University of Florida ranked 17th among public universities in the nation, and I challenged them in 2014 to become a top-10 university. For the second year in a row, UF has surpassed that goal. The hard work of our students, faculty and university leadership statewide has led to many of Florida’s universities making incredible gains in national rankings. I’m proud that this past legislative session we secured a historic $2.5 billion for the university system and that we’ve been able to hold the line on tuition for the last five years – a tremendous accomplishment that has kept higher education affordable in Florida. I look forward to seeing this momentum continue.”

U.S. News & World Report Rankings for Public Universities:

  • University of Florida – 8th, up from 9th last year;
  • Florida State University – 26th, up from 33rd last year;
  • University of South Florida – 58th, up from 68th last year;
  • University of Central Florida – 87th, up from 90th last year; and
  • Florida International University – 100th, up from 122nd last year.

U.S. News & World Report Names UNF ‘Best Regional’ University

Posted on

For the eighth consecutive year, the U.S. News & World Report has named the University of North Florida a “Best Regional” university in its 2019 edition of “Best Colleges,” which includes data from more than 1,800 colleges and universities nationwide.

As a regional best, UNF ranked No. 42, up six spots from last year, and landed No. 14 as a “Top Public School” for 2019, up four places over last year’s ranking. The University also ranked No. 29 in the “Best Colleges for Veterans” list and No. 58 as a “Best Value” school. All rankings are among regional universities in the South.

“I take great pride in being able to lead a university that is of the caliber of the University of North Florida,” said UNF President David Szymanski. “The University is showing up in nearly every national college ranking, putting UNF at the top of some very impressive lists. These accolades are a true testament to our outstanding faculty and staff as well as the talents of our phenomenal students.”

The institutions selected as a U.S. News & World Report “Best Regional” university provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs and offer various doctoral programs. The universities in this category aren’t ranked nationally but rather against their peer group in one of four geographic regions—North, South, Midwest and West.

The 2019 “Best Colleges” rankings feature the established rankings of the Best National Universities and Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, while also including the Best Regional Universities, Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, among many others.

The rankings are based on key measures of quality such as academic reputation; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources (including class size, the percentage of faculty with the top academic degree, student-faculty ratio); student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving. For more information about the rankings, visit colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges.

This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education 2019 College Rankings, Forbes 2018 Best Value College, U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 “Best Online Programs,” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “Best College Value of 2018,” 2018 “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, 2018 “Best Regional” University by U.S. News & World Report, 2018 “Best Colleges” by College Factual, to name a few.

U.S. News & World Report is a multimedia publisher of news, consumer advice, rankings and analysis. Focusing on education, health, personal finance, travel, cars and news and opinion, usnews.com has earned a reputation as the leading provider of consumer advice and analysis that helps its readers make informed life decisions.

Stetson University Ranked No. 5 by U.S. News & World Report

Posted on

New list puts Stetson at No. 3 on Best for Veterans

Stetson University ranks No. 5 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2019 list of Best Regional Universities (South), and No. 3 on the list of Best for Veterans Regional Universities (South). There are 165 schools in this category. [Read more…] about Stetson University Ranked No. 5 by U.S. News & World Report

Gov. Scott: Florida Ranked Best State in the Nation for Higher Education

Posted on

Governor Rick Scott today made the below statement regarding U.S. News & World Report again ranking Florida as the best state in the nation for higher education. The ranking was determined based on several factors, including the time it takes Florida students to complete two and four-year higher education programs, the cost of tuition and fees, and the burden of debt for college graduates. This is the second year in a row Florida has ranked number one. For information on the study, click HERE.

Governor Scott said, “It is great news that Florida has again ranked first in the nation for higher education. Over the past seven years, we have made major investments in our higher education system and challenged colleges and universities to become more affordable while fully preparing students to be ready for a great job upon graduation. A leading higher education system helps strengthen our state as the best place for families, students and job creators to succeed. We will continue to work together to hold the line on tuition and support our state colleges and universities so families and students can continue to achieve their dreams in Florida.”

UNF Earns Top 40 Ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Online’ Bachelor’s Programs

Posted on

The University of North Florida is among hundreds of higher education institutions included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Online Programs rankings released today. UNF is ranked among the Top 40 colleges and universities in the country for “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs,” which includes data from nearly 1,500 distance-education degree programs nationwide.
UNF, ranked No. 31, soared 17 spots from last year’s ranking and is the only local higher education institution listed among the rankings in this category. The University also landed on the “Best Online Education Programs” list, a graduate-level ranking. Only degree-granting programs offering classes entirely online were considered. For more information on the “Best Online Programs” rankings, visit usnews.com/online.
“It’s very rewarding to have U.S. News & World Report rank our bachelor’s and our graduate education online programs among the best in the nation,” said UNF President John Delaney. “Faculty in our online programs are committed to this form of program delivery and have developed course materials and teaching methods that are second to none.”
U.S. News assessed schools based on four general categories: student engagement (including participation in courses that allow students opportunities to readily interact with instructors and fellow classmates), faculty credentials and training (including doctoral and tenure-track faculty and formal training for faculty in distance education), student services and technology (including diverse online learning technologies, career guidance and financial aid resources) and peer reputation (including industry opinions that account for intangible factors on program quality that is not captured by statistics).
“UNF continues to support the development of high-quality online courses and programs to meet student demand,” said Dr. Deb Miller, UNF senior director for Academic Technology and Innovation. “Our focus is on online courses that promote high levels of student interaction and developing programs that expand access to the University’s excellent offerings.”
UNF is leading the way in distance learning with its innovative Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program. The fully-online DCN program is an advanced practice doctoral program with emphasis on leadership, advanced evidence-based practice and research. The DCN prepares practitioners for leadership roles in clinical, community or higher education settings through course work, advanced practice residency and the production of applied scholarship. Nationally, this program is one of only two DCN degree programs.
The University’s online graduate education programs include Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Nursing Practice in Psychological-Mental Health, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Master of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting, Master of Education in Educational Leadership: Instructional Technology Track, Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, RN-BSN Bridge Track as well as Graduate Certificates in Early Childhood Education, Health Informatics and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “Best College Value of 2018,” 2018 “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, 2018 “Best Regional” University by U.S. News & World Report, 2018 “Best Colleges” by College Factual and the 2017 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, to name a few.

UNF Earns Top 40 Ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Online’ Bachelor’s Programs

Posted on

The University of North Florida is among hundreds of higher education institutions included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Online Programs rankings released today. UNF is ranked among the Top 40 colleges and universities in the country for “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs,” which includes data from nearly 1,500 distance-education degree programs nationwide.

UNF, ranked No. 31, soared 17 spots from last year’s ranking and is the only local higher education institution listed among the rankings in this category. The University also landed on the “Best Online Education Programs” list, a graduate-level ranking. Only degree-granting programs offering classes entirely online were considered. For more information on the “Best Online Programs” rankings, visit usnews.com/online.

“It’s very rewarding to have U.S. News & World Report rank our bachelor’s and our graduate education online programs among the best in the nation,” said UNF President John Delaney. “Faculty in our online programs are committed to this form of program delivery and have developed course materials and teaching methods that are second to none.”

U.S. News assessed schools based on four general categories: student engagement (including participation in courses that allow students opportunities to readily interact with instructors and fellow classmates), faculty credentials and training (including doctoral and tenure-track faculty and formal training for faculty in distance education), student services and technology (including diverse online learning technologies, career guidance and financial aid resources) and peer reputation (including industry opinions that account for intangible factors on program quality that is not captured by statistics).

“UNF continues to support the development of high-quality online courses and programs to meet student demand,” said Dr. Deb Miller, UNF senior director for Academic Technology and Innovation. “Our focus is on online courses that promote high levels of student interaction and developing programs that expand access to the University’s excellent offerings.”

UNF is leading the way in distance learning with its innovative Doctor of Clinical Nutrition program. The fully-online DCN program is an advanced practice doctoral program with emphasis on leadership, advanced evidence-based practice and research. The DCN prepares practitioners for leadership roles in clinical, community or higher education settings through course work, advanced practice residency and the production of applied scholarship. Nationally, this program is one of only two DCN degree programs.

The University’s online graduate education programs include Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Nursing Practice in Psychological-Mental Health, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Master of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting, Master of Education in Educational Leadership: Instructional Technology Track, Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, RN-BSN Bridge Track as well as Graduate Certificates in Early Childhood Education, Health Informatics and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s “Best College Value of 2018,” 2018 “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, 2018 “Best Regional” University by U.S. News & World Report, 2018 “Best Colleges” by College Factual and the 2017 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, to name a few.

Flagler College second in U.S. News’ Best Regional Colleges in South

Posted on

Ranks sixth on Best Value list

Flagler College has once again been ranked second in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges guide for the Best Regional Colleges in the South, behind High Point University in North Carolina. This year, the college was also ranked sixth on the Best Value list in the South regional category for offering high-quality programs at an affordable cost.
“Our ranking, and inclusion on the Best Value list, is another indication that Flagler is living up to its mission of providing the highest quality education for our students,” said College President Dr. Joseph G. Joyner. “This is a tribute to the hard work by all of our faculty and staff who always place students first and continue to excel.”
Other schools in the top 10 Best Regional Colleges in the South category include University of the Ozarks, Catawba College, University of Mobile, University of South Carolina-Aiken, Alice Lloyd College, Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Blue Mountain College, Coker College and Kentucky Wesleyan College.
U.S. News defines regional colleges as those focusing on undergraduate education, but granting fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.
Academic quality is measured by gathering data in a number of categories: assessment by administrators at peer institutions, how well schools perform at retaining and graduating students, the quality of and investment in the faculty, student selectivity, financial resources and the state of alumni giving. A rank is arrived after calculating weighted scores for each school.
There were 57 colleges and universities included in the first tier of the South rankings.
In August, the Flagler College was also named one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 381 Colleges” guide. Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges are included, and Flagler has made it into the book since 2003.
The U.S News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook will start shipping on Sept. 25 and be available in stores on Oct. 10. For more information, click here.

U.S. News & World Report Names UNF ‘Best Regional’ University

Posted on

For the seventh consecutive year, the U.S. News & World Report has named the University of North Florida a “Best Regional” university in its 2018 edition of “Best Colleges,” which includes data from more than 1,800 colleges and universities nationwide and ranked 1,388 of them.
UNF ranked No. 18 as a “Top Public School” and No. 48, up four spots from last year, as a regional best in front of local private college, Jacksonville University, 52, and Florida Gulf Coast University, 73. Additionally, the University ranked No. 57 as a “Best Value School” and was ranked for students amassing the least amount of cumulative debt. All rankings are among regional universities in the South.
As a regional best, UNF ranked No. 48, up four spots from last year, in front of local private college, Jacksonville University, 52, and Florida Gulf Coast University, 73. Additionally, the University was ranked for students amassing the least amount of cumulative debt. Both rankings are among regional universities in the South.
“I take great pride in being able to lead a university that is of the caliber of the University of North Florida,” said UNF President John Delaney. “The University is showing up in nearly every national college ranking, putting UNF at the top of some very impressive lists.”
This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including the national 2017 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, “Best Online Bachelor’s Program” from U.S. News & World Report, “Best College for the Money” and “Top Quality Overall Best Colleges” in the state by College Factual and “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, to name a few.
The institutions selected as a U.S. News & World Report “Best Regional” university provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs and offer various doctoral programs. The universities in this category aren’t ranked nationally but rather against their peer group in one of four geographic regions—North, South, Midwest and West.
The 2018 “Best Colleges” rankings feature the established rankings of the Best National Universities and Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, while also including the Best Regional Universities, Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, among many others.
The rankings are based on key measures of quality such as academic reputation; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources (including class size, the percentage of faculty with the top academic degree, student-faculty ratio); student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving. For more information about the rankings, click here.
U.S. News & World Report is a multimedia publisher of news, consumer advice, rankings and analysis. Focusing on education, health, personal finance, travel, cars and news and opinion, www.usnews.com has earned a reputation as the leading provider of consumer advice and analysis that helps its readers make informed life decisions.

Florida universities move up in U.S. News & World Report rankings

Posted on

University of Florida and Florida State University each vaulted five slots in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with UF earning the No. 9 spot and FSU landing at No. 33. The jumps in the rankings mark significant achievements for both institutions, with UF meeting its long-standing goal of breaking into the prestigious list of Top 10 public universities and FSU making remarkable progress toward its goal of landing in the Top 25. University of South Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida International University also moved up in the rankings, landing at No. 68, No. 90, and No. 122, respectively.
The rankings appear in the “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook by U.S. News & World Report and are based on widely accepted indicators of excellence, including undergraduate academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, and alumni giving.
“Over the past several years, the State University System has made a real push to align its degrees with the state workforce, increase its prominence in research, and improve the quality of our universities,” said Tom Kuntz, chair of the Board of Governors. “After U.S. News & World Report recently named Florida the top state for higher education in the country, it’s good to also see our individual institutions recognized.”
Florida has aggressively sought to improve the quality of its universities, with the Governor and Legislature implementing an initiative known as “Preeminence,” which strengthens the national reputation of Florida’s universities by providing resources for world-class faculty, improved student-faculty ratios, and more. Additionally, the Board of Governors incentivizes improvement through its nationally recognized performance funding model, which directs money to the universities based on student outcomes. In the past five years, the System’s graduation rate improved by 5.3 percent, the retention rate improved by 3.4 percent, and the number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) increased by 31 percent.
“The Board of Governors, through performance funding and other initiatives, has helped define what it means to be a Florida university,” said Marshall Criser III, State University System chancellor. “Above all, it means a focus on outcomes and an absolute commitment to student success.”
Even while enhancing its national reputation, Florida has maintained its status as one of the most affordable states in the country to achieve an education, with the average cost of earning a bachelor’s degree less than $15,000 after financial aid is included. Furthermore, University Work Plans, in which institutions lay out their future financial goals, indicate that universities are expected to decrease their prices further in the coming years, cutting the student cost per degree from $14,820 to 14,090 by the 2019-2020 school year.

U.S. News & World Report Names UNF ‘Best Online Bachelor’s’ Program in the Nation

Posted on

The University of North Florida is among hundreds of higher education institutions included in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Online Programs rankings released today. UNF is ranked among the Top 50 colleges and universities in the country for “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs,” which includes data from more than 1,300 distance-education degree programs nationwide.

UNF, ranked No. 48, is the only local higher education institution listed among the rankings in this category. The University also landed on the “Best Online Education Programs” and “Best Online Criminal Justice and Criminology Programs,” both graduate-level rankings.

“It’s very rewarding to have U.S. News & World Report rank our bachelor’s and graduate education online programs among the best in the nation,” said UNF President John Delaney. “Faculty in our online programs are committed to this form of program delivery and have developed course materials and teaching methods that are second to none.”

U.S. News assessed schools based on four general categories: student engagement (including participation in courses that allow students opportunities to readily interact with instructors and fellow classmates), faculty credentials and training (including doctoral and tenure-track faculty and formal training for faculty in distance education), student services and technology (including diverse online learning technologies, career guidance and financial aid resources) and peer reputation (including industry opinions that account for intangible factors on program quality that is not captured by statistics).

“UNF continues to support academic programs and departments as they develop online courses to meet the needs of students,” said Dr. Len Roberson, UNF associate vice president for Academic Technology and Innovation. “Our desire is to offer online courses that are not only high-quality but that provide students with greater access to the University’s excellent programs.”

The University has been offering online bachelor’s degree programs since 2013-14. The faculty provide students with personalized attention to promote success. Using the principles of community and public health nursing, students work in partnership with local community agencies on a project that is applicable to the current workplace and will promote health within the population.

UNF is leading the way in distance learning for interpreter education with distance students from around the United States and Europe. Within the College of Education and Human Services, the University’s ASL/English Interpreting graduate program offers a Master’s degree in Interpreting Pedagogy, which combines fully online courses with intensive face-to-face learning in the summer. Nationally, this program is one of only a few master’s degrees in interpreter pedagogy.

The University’s online graduate education programs include Doctor of Nursing Practice, Doctor of Nursing Practice in Psychological-Mental Health, Doctor of Clinical Nutrition, Master of Science in American Sign Language/English Interpreting, Master of Education in Special Education: Autism Track, Master of Education in Educational Leadership: Instructional Technology Track, Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, RN-BSN Bridge Track as well as Graduate Certificates in Early Childhood Education, Sport Management, Global Health and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s 2017, “Best Regional University” by U.S. News & World Report, “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, “Best Bang for the Buck Southeast Colleges 2016” by Washington Monthly, 2017 “Best College” by College Factual and the national 2016 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, to name a few.

U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on factors such as graduation rates, indebtedness of new graduates and academic and career support services offered to students. Only degree-granting programs offering classes entirely online were considered. For more information on the “Best Online Programs” rankings, visit www.usnews.com/online.

UNF, a nationally ranked university located on an environmentally beautiful campus, offers students who are dedicated to enriching the lives of others the opportunity to build their own futures through a well-rounded education.