State Rankings

Best Colleges in Florida

Top colleges in Florida ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $51,657

Public / Private: 27 / 23

Top Colleges in Florida

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	University of Florida Gainesville#9 national	Public	$71,588	24.0%	1,397	91.5%	$28,659
2	Florida State University Tallahassee#60 national	Public	$61,675	25.4%	1,323	83.0%	$18,786
3	University of Miami Coral Gables#70 national	Private	$75,328	18.5%	1,416	84.2%	$59,926
4	FIU Miami#71 national	Public	$60,249	58.8%	1,154	73.9%	$18,963
5	University of Florida-Online Gainesville#109 national	Public	$71,588	64.4%	1,331	77.7%	$16,579
6	University of Central Florida Orlando#121 national	Public	$58,308	39.5%	1,277	75.1%	$22,467
7	University of South Florida Tampa#221 national	Public	$57,743	41.0%	1,235	74.6%	$17,324
8	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Daytona Beach#247 national	Private	$84,131	66.3%	1,256	67.4%	$42,304
9	University of North Florida Jacksonville#263 national	Public	$56,343	62.3%	1,115	68.2%	$20,793
10	Rollins College Winter Park#273 national	Private	$58,295	40.6%	1,304	76.9%	$58,300
11	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton#289 national	Public	$56,746	73.4%	1,119	64.3%	$17,324
12	University of West Florida Pensacola#362 national	Public	$49,137	56.9%	1,137	61.8%	$19,241
13	The University of Tampa Tampa#423 national	Private	$59,436	40.9%	N/A	61.9%	$33,424
14	Jacksonville University Jacksonville#462 national	Private	$68,010	57.3%	1,211	57.0%	$46,180
15	Florida Southern College Lakeland#466 national	Private	$55,294	59.1%	1,263	69.3%	$42,360
16	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers#482 national	Public	$54,560	76.8%	1,120	56.0%	$25,162
17	Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale#516 national	Private	$59,209	72.7%	1,182	64.3%	$37,080
18	New College of Florida Sarasota#637 national	Public	$48,082	74.0%	1,137	61.8%	$29,944
19	Eckerd College Saint Petersburg#721 national	Private	$51,819	78.7%	1,256	67.6%	$50,374
20	Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota#733 national	Private	$43,325	67.4%	N/A	70.8%	$55,480
21	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee#795 national	Public	$44,349	21.1%	1,100	51.9%	$17,725
22	Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland#832 national	Public	N/A	55.7%	1,294	53.0%	$21,005
23	Stetson University DeLand#858 national	Private	$51,642	86.4%	1,208	62.8%	$55,220
24	Ave Maria University Ave Maria#867 national	Private	$49,520	44.8%	N/A	55.5%	$28,222
25	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne#921 national	Private	$43,137	62.5%	1,213	65.5%	$44,360
26	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Daytona Beach#940 national	Private	$84,131	61.8%	1,193	21.6%	$11,665
27	Chipola College Marianna#1189 national	Public	$37,378	N/A	N/A	61.3%	$8,950
28	Florida Gateway College Lake City#1347 national	Public	$37,894	N/A	N/A	56.6%	$11,747
29	North Florida College Madison#1363 national	Public	$33,929	N/A	N/A	63.5%	$11,400
30	AdventHealth University Orlando#1435 national	Private	$72,282	N/A	N/A	35.6%	$20,880
31	South Florida State College Avon Park#1448 national	Public	$39,990	N/A	N/A	51.1%	$11,859
32	Academy for Nursing and Health Occupations West Palm Beach#1452 national	Private	$47,039	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
33	Flagler College Saint Augustine#1500 national	Private	$49,483	78.1%	1,099	55.9%	$26,610
34	Barry University Miami#1511 national	Private	$55,966	59.1%	N/A	36.6%	$33,450
35	Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach#1513 national	Private	$49,232	88.3%	1,101	59.0%	$37,990
36	Santa Fe College Gainesville#1545 national	Public	$41,631	N/A	N/A	52.1%	$9,189
37	Everglades University Boca Raton#1547 national	Private	$47,597	86.4%	N/A	57.8%	$20,768
38	Saint Leo University Saint Leo#1573 national	Private	$48,364	72.1%	N/A	48.8%	$28,360
39	Miami Dade College Miami#1595 national	Public	$40,654	N/A	N/A	44.7%	$9,661
40	Seminole State College of Florida Sanford#1597 national	Public	$41,733	N/A	N/A	41.9%	$11,447
41	Lynn University Boca Raton#1614 national	Private	$49,006	74.0%	1,136	52.7%	$42,950
42	Saint Johns River State College Palatka#1623 national	Public	$41,728	N/A	N/A	45.7%	$10,352
43	Florida College Temple Terrace#1720 national	Private	$43,445	66.5%	1,068	50.6%	$18,920
44	Eastern Florida State College Melbourne#1788 national	Public	$37,195	N/A	N/A	51.2%	$9,739
45	Florida SouthWestern State College Fort Myers#1789 national	Public	$43,421	N/A	N/A	38.5%	$12,979
46	Florida Institute of Technology-Online Melbourne#1830 national	Private	$43,137	44.4%	N/A	N/A	$12,240
47	Lake-Sumter State College Leesburg#1831 national	Public	$39,876	N/A	N/A	44.7%	$13,276
48	Pasco-Hernando State College New Port Richey#1866 national	Public	$39,903	N/A	N/A	42.9%	$12,032
49	Indian River State College Fort Pierce#1913 national	Public	$38,315	N/A	N/A	42.5%	$10,201
50	Gulf Coast State College Panama City#1918 national	Public	$38,359	N/A	N/A	44.8%	$8,635

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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