It’s official: UNF isn’t just where Ospreys swoop. It’s where we soar.

For eight years, UNF has ranked as “Best Regional” university by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges. That all changed when U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 edition of “Best Colleges” came out on Monday, Sept. 9, ranking UNF among “National Universities.”

More than 1,900 colleges and universities across the country are included in this ranking. UNF came in at No. 281 for “National Universities” and No. 140 in “Top Public Schools.” This level of recognition is new for UNF and marks the University as an elite institution.

You can view the full rankings here.

According to UNF President David Szymanski, “This new ranking sends a very important message about the future of UNF. We’re a top-tier, national university and no longer perceived as just a regional institution. This accolade reinforces our new, strategic direction of achieving national prominence across all our programs. This national recognition is also a strong testament to our outstanding faculty, staff and our phenomenally talented students.”

U.S. News rankings are based on a number of measures, including graduation and retention rates, class sizes, the percentage of faculty with the top academic degree, student-faculty ratio and financial resources, among others.

Along with our new ranking, UNF has moved from being categorized as a “Master’s University” to a “Doctoral/Professional University.” This is thanks in part to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recognizing the doctoral degrees offered here.

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