<p>The overall ranking according to US News is better for University Schools. However when u look at the programs specifically, varies. MSU, PSU and OSU all have some of the best business schools in the nation, surpassing other University of schools such as Florida. I never saw State schools as bad. Some State Schools as I mentioned have top programs and are even ranked in the national best schools category as top.</p>
<p>Acarta hits on something important: it's dangerous to blindly follow US News (and other rank-ers) which, oftentimes, strictly judges schools based on admissions (other times, its things like popularity of grad schools). This often ignores the unique geographic/demographic situation a school is in-- wouldn't MSU love to have a twice-as-big state without UM (that's the University of Michigan, not Miami) competing against it like, say, Florida!? Ya think? … Yet, in most such surveys, UF creams MSU and that's because Florida is harder to gain admissions than MSU. And yet, when you look at the individual programs, across the board, MSU is stronger, older and even richer than Florida, despite UF being in the fastest growing sunbelt state as opposed to sitting next door to the capital in stagnant (even shrinking) rust-belt Michigan...</p>
<p>The moral of the story? It's important to move beyond simplistic reasons for rating one school over another. MSU vs. U.Florida (or Maryland, for that matter), is a perfect case-in-point.</p>
<p>While UF is historically superior academically to FSU in many programs and overall rankings, there are many, many programs where FSU outshines UF. Dance, Music, Physics, Human Sciences, Education, etc., etc. Additionally, the State of Florida has said that BOTH FSU and UF are flagship universities in Florida - so no, sorry, UF is NOT the only flagship university in FLA - it shares the title with it's athletic rival FSU. If you need citations, look it up on Wikipedia for the link to the Florida Register & Statutes that substantiate this.</p>
<p>Party:
Penn State > UPenn.</p>
<p>UF's favorable rankings vis a vis FSU are a fairly recent event, starting perhaps in the mid to late 1980s with UF's admission to the AAU. For decades FSU had a better academic reputation...witness the first chapter of Phi Beta Kappa in Florida being awarded to FSU and not UF, for example.</p>
<p>When I attended FSU in the 1970s it had the better students. Now, different factors are rewarded - like STEM - and UF has garnered a lead, at least as far as some rating services go. I suspect this will equalize over time and if both make it into the top-20 or higher publics nationally, who cares?</p>