FIU Climbs 17 Spots in U.S News Rankings; Biggest Jump Among Florida Universities

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Congratulations to Florida International University which has continued its rapid ascent in the U.S. News and World Report rankings with a 17-spot improvement to No. 78 among more than 200 public universities in the nation, according to the 2022 National University Rankings released Monday.

FIU's improvement is the greatest in Florida and third in the nation among public universities. FIU also ranked among the top five public universities for social mobility for the first time and held on to the No. 2 spot in international business.

Other key rankings announced on Monday include No. 17 most innovative among public U.S. institutions, and No. 75 best college for veterans.

"These are the real triumphs of our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, donors and the state that invests in us," said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. "We take pride in being student-centered. We are focused on making a difference in the lives of our learners and uplifting our community through research and innovation. This rise in our reputation is driven by our passion for impact."

Measures of student success weigh heavily in the U.S. News ranking formula.

How did other Florida universities rank?

The University of Florida in Gainesville rose to the No. 5 ranked public university in the country, in a three-way tie with the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The annual grades lend prestige to schools that achieve top placement.

"It is my privilege to announce that the University of Florida has moved up yet again in the U.S. News & World Report Ranking to No. 5 for public universities throughout the United States," said Governor Ron DeSantis. "When we look back over the past 20 years, we've seen a steady improvement. In 2012, the University of Florida was ranked number 19, and now, they are ranked five. There's a lot of great students, administrators, the Florida legislature, and board members that have continued to make Florida the best place in the nation to get a great education. Florida has grown dramatically over the past few decades and is now seen as ahead of the curve in economic indicators for growth. Traveling the state, many people don't know that our overall university system is ranked No. 1 in the nation, and when companies know, they know Florida is thriving with top talent. Students and families know that getting a great education for a great price, with minimal debt and skills to prosper and adapt in a fast-changing workforce, there is no doubt the success of UF is tied to the success of our state – present and future."

U.S. News calculates its ranking based on six categories which are each weighted differently: student outcomes (40%), faculty resources (20%), expert opinion (20%), financial resources (10%), student excellence (7%) and alumni giving (3%).

Florida State University in Tallahassee came in No. 19, the University of South Florida in Tampa was No. 46, and the University of Central Florida in Orlando came in No. 67.