FSU rises in Forbes’ Top Colleges ranking

Florida State University has been ranked No. 44 among the nation’s public universities in Forbes’ recent Top Colleges ranking, up from No. 50 in 2015.

“This is good news that provides further evidence of Florida State University’s rise in national prominence,” said President John Thrasher. “The Forbes national ranking reflects our efforts this year on a number of fronts to elevate academic excellence to an even higher level and to ensure our students are as well-equipped as any in the country to find the best jobs when they graduate.”

Within the Florida State University System, Forbes ranks FSU among the top 2 institutions.

The methodology for the ranking looks at metrics such as student satisfaction (25 percent), post-graduate success (32.5 percent), student debt (25 percent), graduation rate (7.5 percent) and academic success (10 percent).

With its 93 percent freshman retention rate; 79 percent 6-year graduation rate; average high school GPA of 4.1 and SAT score of 1241 for incoming freshmen for the fall semester; focus on academic success; and other factors, Florida State is well-positioned as one of the Top 50 public institutions in the United States.