The number one public school in America is The University of Florida

Same..I wouldn't be where I am today without UF...they are my family...

 

I went to high school in New Jersey, and admittedly I wasn’t exactly college material (“The world needs ditch diggers, too”), but I was under the impression that Lehigh was sort of a safety school. I new a couple of people that went there that would never be mistaken for academics. Granted, I think they are doing well now. When I think of top public Universities I think of Michigan, UF, UNC, Rutgers and the univ. of California schools. I guess times change.

 

Same. My wife and I graduated UF COP in '96. My daughter is in her sophomore year at UF now.

 

You always have to consider the people writing and producing these pieces. They are largely of a type, and so retain a high degree of affinity for what they think is optimal in a University. Which ultimately makes it as much about class distinctions (not necessarily defined by wealth or income) as anything else. So yeah, Swarthmore, Georgetown, and Lehigh are all kinda sus when viewed against broader metrics.

 

A little more background on their rankings

Rankings & Facts | Florida International University in Miami, FL

 

its impressive as a graduate of florida -- but it was a great school back in the 90s and was always in the tier behind UNC and UVA for example.
I'd rather have a good football team to be honest. Florida always had way more to offer students then unc and uva, and the rankers ignored all those facts.
these metrics are somewhat made up -- give me a top 10 football and basketball team all day over a top 10 academic institution.

 

At a recent UF admissions event I attended with my son, UF bragged on having a 97% graduation rate. I don't know what the graduation rate was was back in our day, but it seemed like there were a more casualties left along the way than a scant 3%. Almost every semester seemed like there was noticeable attrition (promptly and easily replaced with transfers), but UF was down right callous upon recollection.

As for the hand holding business--my recollection of the counselors, was that they got paid to refer you to the student manual. That, and the course catalog--but it was all pretty much DIY.

Now to be clear, I will be the first to acknowledge that the numbers for getting in, are markedly higher than they were in our day, suggesting that the caliber of student going in has surely improved correspondingly.

...but it certainly appears that they've become more user friendly, and perhaps a bit less callous towards their students.

 

Um, this is a UF fan forum and it is news that UF is the Number 1 public institution? I don't get it.

Oh, it says "public". Because we all KNOW it is THE best school of higher learning (or whatever they call my time at UF) in the world. My bad!

 

Oh, same guy we got now?

 

If dude had “Scrotis” at the top of his resume’ they might have stopped right there

 

One other point on UF’s rise, it means increased research funding. UF has doubled the pace of gains in research funding nationally over the last 10 years. We crossed the 1.25 billion dollar mark this year. Yes, with a B.
That creates thousands of jobs in the state, it means fixes to the state’s problems (and much broader reach than just the state on some things), it means more graduate slots at the school potentially, among lots of other things.
And outside of research funding amounts, having good universities in the state with graduates who have cutting edge skills (see our 75 million dollar AI NVDIA project for example) impacts a company’s decision on where to relocate, so that creates lots of jobs for the state too.

Football is fun for a fall Saturday and trash talking friends. But it’s a game.

UF research spending up 15% to record $1.25 billion

 

97% graduation rate....is that a good thing? Does that suggest the rigor of the program isn't what it used to be? I recall scads of folks transferring out of UF after learning that you can't drink all night, sleep to Noon, and still pass that weed-out Chem class they took Freshman year.

 

Good question

 

The Football vs. Academics is such a canard. The reason we have been bad at football the last decade+ is not b/c academics is preventing admitting players or taking resources. It has to do with misfit/poor coaching and a long history of (UAA/Foley/alums) not putting athletic funding into football. This is not an either/or but a both.

The academic ‘achievement’ of these polls is great but just opinions. Those of us who went there know what a great experience it is to be a student there. Amazing academic competition, sports to play and watch, and fun.

And these polls/reviews tell that to the world. It brings in research funding that produces money, inventions and progress. It attracts industry and smart folks moving here (students and families). It is a win for UF and the state.

I loved going to games as a student. Still do. I appreciate the effort of those 85 kids on football scholarship. But UF the academic institution is so much more important to me for what it brought to my life and my families (kids there too). I want football to be good. I know academics is not the reason it is not. But I would never trade the experience/integrity of tens of thousands of students for a football title.

Edit - as to the increased retention, UF is doing some very cool things now. For example they have micro loans for students who would otherwise drop out b/c they could not make one months rent. They are reaching out to students who have life issues (death in family, mental health). And they are helping kids graduate in longer time periods for harder majors (engineering). Partly based on the assumption that if you can get in, you deserve a chance (due to harder admissions) and partly b/c it matters in the rankings. I liked the sink or swim when I was there (old school) but that ain’t the world today. It is likely better for many deserving students facing issues and worse for some who need tough love, too.

 

That was my first reaction--that is, to question whether that's a good thing or not--bc watching folks drop like flies all around you, and being treated so coldly, kinda' added to the pride in graduating, and respect for the institution's commitment to objective unbending standards.

On the flip side, I suspect it helps for recruitment far more than "Come to UF--where 1/3 of y'all will fail out!"

 

First day engineering major in Calc 1 (I think), got the “look left, look right, only one of you will be here in 4 years.”

Talked to a professor recently about this and their comment was: “does that old system produce the best engineers, or just folks that can take a beating?” Told me the story of a test with a 56 average (for non-engineers, that’s not unusual). Guy in his class got a 58 and was psyched to beat the average. Girl got a 65 and was bummed she did not ‘master the material.’

Fair observations I thought. Not how I got through and I’d never want standards lowered, but a lot of the ‘weeding out’ we faced may be done pre-admission now?

 

I think the 6 year graduation rate is actually around 88 or 89 percent. When I was at school it was like 67 percent.

 

My SATs in 1977 wouldn't let me sniff UF these days and they were pretty good...top 10% of incoming frosh for class of 1982.

I was a 4-year ROTC scholly guy, and empathize with the athletes that have to balance being "just a student" with additional career prep activities that complicate that. Multiple weekend training exercises (all year), lengthy Army schools during summer breaks, etc. were a big distraction to exam schedules, homework, labs, etc. My time spent in ROTC was preparing me for the future I'd have in the Army after graduation. I knew UF could prepare me for that. UF's Army ROTC program 3 of the 4 years I was a member was graded #1 in the entire US. That earned us advantages over other schools when it came to choose our branches, duty assignments, schools, etc. I had to pass my academics but they were melded to my non-scholarly pursuits. I didn't NEED to be a Dean's List for the Army. But I did need to pass. As a career advisor once said, noting I had a 3.2 GPA in History, "You partied." He was correct, but I also busted my ass to prepare to be a great soldier.

I want my UF athletic program to represent the University at the highest level possible, but with the integrity of knowing it prepares student-athletes (SA) to leverage their education to be productive and contributing citizens of our Republic after they graduate. Many athletes come from places behind the educational power curve. I expect UF to do all in it's power to support them in attaining experience and credentials that matter upon graduation.

 

Ok, I located my hand written notes, then cross referenced google...

I confused the graduation rate with the retention rate. Retention rate is 97%.

Per my notes, they said 90% grad rate which I believe they said 5 year, but...never mind my notes.

4 year grad rate appears to be 67%, and 6 year grad rate 87%.

University of Florida Graduation Rate & Retention Rate

Pardon to all for any confusion I may have caused.

 

And no recent title holders in the top 150. Hmm. We may have a disconnect when it comes to the real mission of a University.