In a new study by WalletHub, a personal finance website, USF was ranked No. 4 for “2020’s Best Colleges & Universities in Florida” and No. 117 in the nation.
The results may come as a surprise to some after U.S. News & World Report’s ranking for the top public university in the nation rated USF at No. 44, ahead of its geographically closest competitor, UCF.
In the WalletHub study, however, UCF ranked No. 3 in Florida and No. 97 in the nation, just ahead of USF. UF was ranked first in the state and 32nd in the nation. FSU was No. 2 in the state and 43rd nationally.
To determine the results, the top-performing schools across the country with the lowest tuition rates for undergraduates were taken into consideration during the study.
WalletHub examined more than 1,000 higher education institutions across the country by using 33 measures, including student-faculty ratio, graduation rate and post-attendance median salary.
On a scale of 100 points, the following categories were reviewed: student selectivity (25 points), cost and financing (20 points), faculty resources (10 points), campus safety (5 points), campus experience (5 points), educational outcomes (20 points) and career outcomes (15 points).
USF’s overall score was 62.36 points. When ranked by region, USF placed No. 25 in the South. Both public and private, four-year or above institutions were taken into consideration.
