U.S. News and World Report released its 2022 college rankings on Sept. 13. USF’s ranking includes performance metrics from all three campuses.
Courtesy of USF
By Annalise Anderson
For the second year in a row, U.S. News and World Report named USF “America’s fastest-rising university” and No. 46 of the nation’s top 50 public universities, a rank the university maintains after slipping from No. 44 last year.
The fastest-rising label reflects USF’s rankings over the past decade. Among all universities, it has risen from No. 170 to No. 103; among public universities, from No. 94 to No. 46.
“Which represents a greater climb than any other university in the country,” the university said in its Sept. 13 press release.
U.S. News and World Report’s rankings are based on 17 metrics of academic quality, like graduation and retention rates, “faculty resources” (including class size and faculty salaries) and the assessments of academic peers.
“USF is proud to maintain its momentum as the fastest-rising university in America, public or private, over the last decade and a top 50 university,” said Interim President Rhea Law. “This recognition is a testament to our exceptionally talented faculty, students and staff and reinforces the importance of USF’s role in our region.”
USF’s ranking reflects performance of the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses.
“I’ve always said, ‘Do the right thing and the numbers will follow,’” said St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Dr. Martin Tadlock. “At USF, we continue to do the right thing by prioritizing student success, celebrating faculty excellence and encouraging world-class research. That’s why we maintain our status as America’s fastest rising university.”
“Being part of a top-50 public university benefits our students, our faculty, our alumni and our community. We’re proud of that success and look forward to building on that momentum in the future,” Tadlock said.
Deni Elliott, St. Petersburg interim regional vice chancellor of academic affairs and vice provost, emphasized faculty performance and its attribution to the university’s ranking.
“Our status as America’s fastest-rising university is a testament to the excellence of our faculty. Our faculty engage students in the classroom, but also in their research,” Elliott told The Crow’s Nest. “Faculty and students work together to pursue discoveries that benefit our community, our country and our world.”
USF is tied with, or ranks ahead of, five colleges in the Association of American Universities (AAU), which consists of the nation’s top 66 research universities. Administration aims to make USF eligible for future AAU membership.
U.S. News also ranked USF No. 24 in the nation for “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” and No. 18 among public universities.
Social mobility is based on the number of Pell Grant recipients that a university successfully retains and graduates. According to the press release, approximately 40% of USF students are eligible for Pell Grants, the highest amount among Florida’s preeminent universities.
U.S. News & World Report, once a widely read print magazine, has reinvented itself in recent years into a digital media company that ranks everything from colleges to hospitals, cars and trucks, stocks and mutual funds, and even the best states to live in.
Critics have contended that it relies too heavily on what it calls “peer assessment surveys” of presidents, provosts and deans of admission who rate the quality of other, competing institutions.
Some schools have been caught sending inflated numbers, and a few schools refuse to participate in the company’s annual surveys.
This year, University of Florida ranked No. 5 public university in the country and No. 28 among all universities.
Florida State University was No. 19 among public universities and No. 55 among all universities. University of Central Florida ranked No. 67 among public universities and No. 148 among all universities.
