UF ranked No. 7 in public universities and No. 30 in national universities for 2026, maintaining the same spots it held last year, according to the U.S. News & World Report.
The university held the No. 5 spot among publics in 2022 and 2023, followed by declines to No. 6 in 2024 and No. 7 in 2025.
This year, the university tied with the University of Texas at Austin for both its public and national spots.
The report includes 436 national universities, 225 of which are public. The publication takes into account graduation rates, first-year retention rates and peer assessments, among other criteria, which is collected through surveys and federal Education Department data.
Other Florida universities also ranked in the top 100 publics, including Florida State University at No. 21 and the University of South Florida at No. 43.
“This year’s rankings reflect the unwavering commitment of Florida’s public universities to delivering academic excellence and world-class faculty expertise,” said Florida Board of Governors Chair Brian Lamb in a press release.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Contact Alissa Gary at agary@alligator.org. Follow her on X @AlissaGary1
Alissa is the Fall 2025 editor-in-chief of The Alligator. She has previously been engagement managing editor and university editor, and she has covered stories across UF and Gainesville. She was also an intern at the Orlando Sentinel and The Chronicle of Higher Education. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her cat and take care of her plants.
