Dear UF Community,

Today, the Wall Street Journal published an editorial titled “The University Elite, Reconsidered.” The editorial highlights a new ranking that puts the University of Florida at No. 1 among 100 U.S. colleges and universities, public and private.

The ranking takes into consideration factors such as whether a school has a strong curriculum and rigorous academics, prepares its students to become productive members of society and thriving employees in the 21st-century economy, and encourages respectful discourse.

As the editorial points out, “On those criteria, a new set of universities rose to the top. The University of Florida, University of Texas at Austin and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill capture the top three spots thanks to specific programs that have elevated civic discourse and top-flight academic programs.”

This recognition for UF is something we should all be proud of. It demonstrates that at the University of Florida, we have anticipated the re-thinking of the true value of a university education and have invested strategically in our programs and in our culture to seize this moment of opportunity. It shows families that UF is a place where their students receive an exceptional education with an outstanding return on investment. It shows that we provide our students with a campus environment where the free exchange of ideas is truly valued and promoted and civil discourse is the rule, not the exception. 

In other words, at the University of Florida, we’re doing what universities are supposed to be doing, and we’re doing it better than anyone else in the country.

We are thankful to the governor and the Legislature for their strong support, and we will continue to do the things that are earning the University of Florida national recognition for a job well done.

A sampling of the ranking:
1. University of Florida
2. University of Texas at Austin
3. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
6. Georgia Institute of Technology
16. University of Virginia
31. University of Michigan
39. University of California, Davis
40. University of California, Los Angeles
72. University of California, San Diego

The full Wall Street Journal editorial can be found here.