It’s a repeat for the Sunshine State atop the higher education heap.
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Florida as the best state in the nation for higher education. This is the second consecutive year Florida has topped the state-by-state rankings, which consider factors such as tuition and fee costs, time it takes students to complete two- and four-year higher ed programs, the amount of debt at graduation and more.
“It is great news that Florida has again ranked first in the nation for higher education,” said Governor Rick Scott, in a press release. “Over the past seven years, we have made major investments in our higher education system and challenged colleges and universities to become more affordable while fully preparing students to be ready for a great job upon graduation.
“A leading higher education system helps strengthen our state as the best place for families, students and job creators to succeed. We will continue to work together to hold the line on tuition and support our state colleges and universities so families and students can continue to achieve their dreams in Florida.”
While Florida didn’t top any of the individual categories that factored into the rankings, the state ranked second in both “Tuition and Fees” and “2-Year College Graduation Rate.”
Florida’s lowest ranking in any of the categories was 30th in “Educational Attainment.”