U.S. News: UCF a Top 5 National University to Watch

By Grant J. Heston Aug. 20, 2009

The University of Central Florida’s national reputation continues to grow, as U.S. News & World Report's 2010 "America's Best Colleges" guide lauds UCF as a top 5 national university to watch.

UCF, which ranked No. 7 on the list last year, is the only Florida school listed in the category "Top Up-and-Coming Schools." This category recognizes national universities that “recently made the most promising and innovative changes in academics, faculty, students, campus or facilities.”

UCF also received special recognition in the category “Great Schools, Great Prices” for being a top 20 national university for students graduating with the least amount of debt. UCF was ranked in this category last year as well.

"This recognition is a tribute to UCF's talented students and staff and faculty members, who are the foundation of our university's success," said UCF President John C. Hitt. "Our innovative classrooms, laboratories and partnerships help us continue to recruit outstanding faculty members, attract the best-and-brightest students and strengthen our regional and state economies."

The magazine also featured UCF in a special "Road Trip" feature on Florida schools. Read about the campus visit.

The rankings are based on data from the 2008-2009 academic year. Despite the effects of state-mandated budget cuts, UCF maintained its status in U.S. News’ third tier of national universities.

This tier includes institutions ranked 134th through 190th out of the 262 national universities surveyed. Schools in the third and fourth tiers are listed alphabetically and are not assigned specific rankings.

U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" guide will hit newsstands on Monday, Aug. 24.

The guide ranks schools based on categories such as the average freshman retention rate, graduation rates, acceptance rates and the percentage of freshmen who ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school classes.

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UCF Stands For Opportunity: The University of Central Florida is a metropolitan research university that ranks as the 5th largest in the nation with more than 50,000 students. UCF's first classes were offered in 1968. The university offers impressive academic and research environments that power the region's economic development. UCF's culture of opportunity is driven by our diversity, Orlando environment, history of entrepreneurship and our youth, relevance and energy. For more information, visit http://news.ucf.edu.

 

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