Monday Sept 13th UF to discuss US News & World Report Ranking

Colleges & Universities A-Z University of Florida
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The new US News Rankings come out on Monday and UF has already scheduled an event. Will UF leap over UNC-Chapel Hill (and UC-Santa Barbara) to the 5th spot? When the politicians start showing up, it’s usually a good sign…

University of Florida to discuss U.S. News & World Report ranking

WHAT: Discussion of the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report

WHO: UF leadership; elected officials; UF students, faculty, staff and alumni

WHEN: Monday, Sept. 13. Event begins at 9:30 a.m.; media should plan to arrive by 9 a.m. to allow time for set-up.

WHERE: Emerson Alumni Hall, 1938 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603

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It’s kind of funny - because it’s for example already higher than W&M and others.

Truth is, nationally, people know UCLA/B, UNC, UVA, UMich, William & Mary and that’s about it.

No employers care if you went to Florida or Nebraska or Tennessee, etc. It’s just reality.

I am interested to see where UGA lands though - it was a hard admit.

But outside of Florida, people see UF as another state school - and it’s a fine school - don’t get me wrong - but people see W&M, UT Austin, Wisconsin maybe…in a higher light (well the first two for sure).

Fun stuff though.

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The University of Florida will probably be sharing exciting news on Monday, September 13, 2021 if the recent jump in the UF School of Law ranking by US News is an indication of an upward trend.

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They have moved up to #5 public university tied with UNC and UCSB. Impressive! #28 Nationally as well.

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The new Public rankings are out (early), UF has moved into a three way tie at #5 with UC-Santa Barbara and UNC-Chapel Hill. All three are ranked #28 in National Universities (UF has moved up). Overall score was 78. The website is still updating, so we’ll see if any metrics change on Monday.

To give you a sense of how close UF is to the top 3…
UCLA #1 Public, #20 National (overall score 84)
UC-Berkeley #2 Public, #22 National
UM-Ann Arbor, #3 Public, #23 National
UVA, #4 Public, #25 National

I"m sure they will announce a new goal on Monday, likely to be a top 3 Public University. That’s going to take a LOT of effort and funding. At this point, it’s very hard to move up in rankings (much easier to fall).

Other schools of interest…
UGA is #15
FSU is #19
USF is #46 (#103 National).

UF National Rankings from 2014 to 2021 (this year’s ranking is 2022).
Florida 49 48 47 50 42 35 34 30

US New Methodology

GRADUATION AND RETENTION RATES 22%
AVERAGE SIX-YEAR GRADUATION RATE 17.6%
AVERAGE FIRST-YEAR STUDENT RETENTION RATE 4.4%

SOCIAL MOBILITY 5%
PELL GRANT GRADUATION RATES 2.5%
PELL GRANT GRADUATION RATE PERFORMANCE 2.5%

GRADUATION RATE PERFORMANCE 8%

UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC REPUTATION 20%
PEER ASSESSMENT SURVEY 20%

FACULTY RESOURCES FOR 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR 20%
CLASS SIZE INDEX 8%
FACULTY COMPENSATION 7%
PERCENT FACULTY WITH TERMINAL DEGREE IN THEIR FIELD 3%
PERCENT FACULTY THAT IS FULL TIME 1%
STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO 1%

STUDENT SELECTIVITY FOR THE FALL 2020 ENTERING CLASS 7%
MATH AND EVIDENCE-BASED READING AND WRITING PORTIONS OF
THE SAT AND THE COMPOSITE ACT SCORES 5%
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS STANDING IN TOP 10% 2%
HIGH SCHOOL CLASS STANDING IN TOP 25% 0%
ACCEPTANCE RATE 0%

FINANCIAL RESOURCES PER STUDENT 10%

AVERAGE ALUMNI GIVING RATE 3%

GRADUATE INDEBTEDNESS 5%
GRADUATE INDEBTEDNESS TOTAL 3%
GRADUATE INDEBTEDNESS PROPORTION WITH DEBT 2%

TOTAL 100%

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Over the past 5 +/- years, Michigan has moved from #29 to now #23.

Michigan has moved up one spot the last 3 years, so UF will have to make a big jump in the coming years.

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It’s not much of an Aspiration Goal, if you can achieve it in a year or two. They will want a goal that takes up to 10 years…That’s why I think they will settle on top 3. Matching UM-Ann Arbor (and surpassing other national universities like Carnegie Mellon University, UVA, NYU, etc.), is something that will take a great deal of work and investment.

A few years ago (2017), UF came out with a document listing their goals (and supporting objectives). All in support of becoming a “Preeminent University”.

Note near the end of the document where UF list the metrics that “matter”. Everything from Student-faculty ratio, Total revenue per student, % BAs enrolled or employed, Median wages of BAs enrolled full-time to Federal research and Faculty Membership in National Academies. It’s an extensive list. Many of these have nothing to do with the US News Rankings, but these are what UF thinks should be the metrics it’s measured by.

Keep these objectives in mind when you see UF making investments. For example, UF has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative. The initiative includes a commitment from UF to hire 100 more faculty members focused on AI. They will join 500 new faculty recently added.

https://ai.ufl.edu/

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If my googling is correct, and correct me if I’m wrong, but UF’s endownment is about $2 Million. A school like say a Michigan has a $12.5 Billion endowment. That’s a big leap in almost any period of time.

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$2 million? Did you mean $2 Billion?

It’s definitely an issue, and one UF is trying to address via fund raising.

However, TAMU has $12.6 Billion, and is ranked 26th. Other factors come into play, including state funding. Think of it this way, when the state of Florida gives UF $100 million in performance based funding, that is the equivalent of a 4% payout of a $2.5 Billion dollar endowment.

From a US News perspective, it’s the undergraduate academic reputation score that’s the challenge. UF has excelled at the metrics, but raising your national reputation score takes time. Especially when 90%+ of your students are in-state.

The survey is done by presidents, provosts and deans of admissions at schools and only about 34% respond. UF’s plan to address this area is increased OOS student recruiting and it’s branding campaign.

At this point, UF wants to do more of what it sees other preeminent universities doing. Hire more outstanding faculty, increase research funding, lower faculty to student ratios, lower class room sizes, improve facilities, improve graduation rates, improve diversity, etc. The US News rankings will take care of themselves.

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You mean it’s not $2 Million? :roll_eyes:

UF is fighting a reputation problem, but as you move up to the “big boys and girls,” UF is fighting a money (endowment) problem.

UF must raise their endowment by asking alumni for money, a lot of money.

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Yes, that was the question being asked, based on what you posted. Can you provide a link to your “googling” that resulted in that number? It seems misaligned with school size.

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It’s like Arizona State - everyone recommends it on the CC. The college has made HUGE strides and in one category, tops the entire nation - most innovative.

It has outstanding programs in engineering, business, journalism and more.

It’s 117 - and will always be a “party” school - same reason UF will never be W&M even though it’s ranked higher.

Perceptions are hard to change.

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UF is about $2 Billion. I thought the 2 million was a typo. Community colleges have larger endowments. :slight_smile:

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UF can strive to be Michigan.

Georgia is much more popular than UF at our TX HS. Maybe UF will catch up. It’s a combo of ranking but also campus beauty and Greek.

Higher rankings will attract rank chasers and the cost is fabulous. Far better than U-M or UGa.

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UF’s fundraising is doing fine…

Loyal supporters give an astonishing $562 million to the University of Florida in FY’21

The University of Florida raised an all-time record $562 million last fiscal year, as the university nears the end of its eight-year Go Greater campaign. The more than 176,000 gifts UF received in FY’21 from alumni and friends will enable the university to continue its climb as one of the nation’s best public universities. It marks the third consecutive year that giving has surpassed $500 million.

With just over one year remaining in UF’s comprehensive Go Greater campaign, the university has now exceeded its initial $3 billion goal, with $3.2 billion raised for students and faculty as well as programs, projects, and research that serve Floridians and others across the globe. Go Greater, the fourth campaign in the university’s 168-year history, is scheduled to conclude in fall 2022.

Some other highlights…

19% of alumni – nearly one in five – made a contribution to the university during the past 12 months. This percentage ranks UF amongst the nation’s best public universities for alumni giving.

UF’s endowment has grown to $2.29 billion

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You mean the rolling eyes emoji wasn’t a dead giveaway that it was a typo? Oy. I tell ya, CC sometimes……

And I’m going to leave it there like a pigeon poop.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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Not just perception, reality. UF and W&M are very different places and attract a very different type of student. W&M is a strange player as it is a state university but looks, feels, and acts like a fine LAC, albeit much larger than an LAC (no TAs teaching undergrad courses, smaller classes, residential college focus, UG research is a focus, etc.)

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UF has no interest in being a LAC like W&M**.

Here is a list of schools that UF views as it’s peers. These are the schools it compares it’s metrics (not “perception”) against.

https://ir.aa.ufl.edu/about/peer-institutions/

You’ll notice the list is made up of the top 5 public universities, and several more UC’s. (Every state compares it’s university system against California’s excellent system).

Georgia Tech is on the list, but UGA is not. UGA doesn’t do nearly enough research and it’s not a AAU school. They have been making significant strides (research funding is up 41% since 2013). I could go on about UGA’s strategic plan, but the end goal is to look much like the other top 10 public research universities, and to gain membership to the AAU.

**Fun fact, the state of Florida also has a public LAC, New College of Florida. NCF is even weirder than W&M…

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My point wasn’t saying in comparison.

My point is saying that - if you were, let’s say, applying for a job in Chicago or Denver, and they had a UF candidate, a Nebraska candidate and a Maine candidate - no one would say - wow, they went to UF, that’s a great school.

If someone went to W&M, they’d be impressed - just like they’d be impressed if they went to UVA or UNC or Berkeley, etc.

I’m simply stating, public perception is that even though it’s been ranked lower for years, W&M - and that’s one example - is perceived as a better school.

The US Rankings may disagree but it’s my belief that most people see it that way.

Doesn’t matter - the entire “discussion” is opinion and while rankings are based in fact, they are a fact based on the opinion of the group that decided the metrics.

It’s fodder for discussion - it’s like debating, who was better, Willie Mays or Hank Aaron.

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If you’re a recruiter in Atlanta, you’d have enough experience with UF to make a call whether it’s grads are better performers than other SE university grads.

The only person I know who went to W&M got a Big 4 job after graduation. That’s not particularly distinguishing but certainly a very solid outcome.