1 Florida College Made The List Of 10 Best Public Universities In The U.S.

It's only fall, but high school seniors in Florida need to lock down their college choices. And if you're a parent, you know that sending your child to an in state school is going to cost a lot less. But you're also looking for the best public universities for your kid. Both in and outside of Florida. US News did the legwork and ranked the top public colleges going into the 2024 school year. Their rankings took into consideration a lot of data including graduation rates, first year retention rates, and graduate performance. On the money side they also looked into borrower debt and the likeliness that one of their grads will out earn someone with only a high school diploma. You can find the full methodology here. One Florida school cracked the top 10.

The University of Florida has an enrollment of 34,552 on a 2,000 acre campus. It comes in at number 6 on the Top Public Universities list and number 28 in national Universities based on similar criteria.

If UF is on your list, note the deadline for enrollment is March 1st and that only 23% of applicants are accepted. In state tuition fees are $6,381 and room and board is another $11,500. If you make it in, your odds are good. UF has a 72% graduation rate and the top major is engineering.

Overall, as a Florida resident, UF looks like a great choice, as highlighted by this study. The next public university on this list is Florida State University, which comes in at number 23. Florida Gulf Coast University comes in at number 162.

Let's take a look at the rest of the top 10, and how much it would cost to send your kid to one of these out of state schools.

This school overlooks the San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, California. It's top major is Social Sciences, and out of state tuition & fees is$48,465. Unfortunately, one reviewer feels that the crime of San Francisco is encroaching on the school "Overall, the city of Berkeley is crime-ridden, and safety is a significant concern for students."

https://www.berkeley.edu/

Located just just five miles away from the Pacific Ocean. It's top major is also Social Sciences, and out of state tuition & fees is $46,326. "Great school, great people, great vibes!"

https://www.ucla.edu/

Ann Arbor is a really cool place. And if you crave some excitement, Detroit is just 45 minutes away. It's top major is Computer and Information Sciences but out of state tuition & fees is a brutal $57,273. "Strong academics in basically any field, so you have flexibility if you decide to change your major."

https://umich.edu/

Great history in this school that was founded in 1789. It's top major is  Social Sciences, and out of state tuition & fees is $39,338. 

https://www.unc.edu/

You want history? This school was started by Thomas Jefferson. It's top major is Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies and out of state tuition & fees is $58,950.     Indeed.com made a list of jobs you can land with a liberal arts degree. The first one listed is a  Customer service representative which carries a salary of $13.17 an hour.

https://www.virginia.edu/

Was originally a part of UC - Berkeley. It's top major is Biological and Biomedical Sciences and out of state tuition & fees is $46,043. 

https://www.ucdavis.edu/

Located in La Jolla, California it's top major is Biology. Out of state tuition and fees is $48,630.

https://ucsd.edu/

One of the largest schools in the nation. Everything's bigger in Texas. It's top graduating majors are Biological and Biomedical Sciences and Engineering. Traveling from Florida, out of state tuition and fees is $41,070.

https://www.utexas.edu/

Georgia Tech is located in the heart of Atlanta. A whopping 51% of graduates do so with an Engineering degree. Definitely a closer option for Florida residents, out of state tuition and fees is less than many at $32,876.

https://www.gatech.edu/

Orange County, California. The top major for graduates is Social Sciences. Out of state tuition and fees is $47,759.

https://uci.edu/