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The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida universities very differently in their respective college rankings.
In U.S. News’ newly released 2026 Best Colleges list, rankings for universities in the Sunshine State didn’t change much from the previous year. After Florida International University (FIU) soared last year, it crept up only one spot to no. 97. The University of Florida (UF) remained at no. 30, and the University of Miami (UM) dropped only one spot to no. 64.
On the other hand, some colleges in Florida soared and tumbled in the Wall Street Journal‘s 2026 rankings. FIU once again ranked highest out of the Florida schools, jumping 23 spots from no. 77 to no. 54. UM fell 36 spots, from no. 231 to no. 267, while Florida State University fell five spots, from no. 199 to no. 204. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) soared 45 spots to no. 218, and the University of North Florida stayed put at 170.
WSJ compiled its rankings in collaboration with College Pulse and Statista. The numbers are based on various weighted factors, including student outcomes (70 percent), learning environment (20 percent), and diversity (10 percent). The 2026 rankings expanded to 580 schools from last year’s list of 500.
The publication ranked Stanford University as the top university in the nation. Babson College, a small private business school outside Boston; and Ivy League stalwart Yale University rounded out the top three. According to the WSJ, the schools that offer the best bang for one’s buck are those in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. UF ranked 12th on the best value rankings. FIU and FAU came in at 38 and 39 on the list, respectively.
Here is where the Florida schools ranked in the WSJ‘s 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings:
54. Florida International University
72. University of Florida
170. University of North Florida
204. Florida State University
218. Florida Atlantic University
260. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
267. University of Miami
276. University of South Florida
300. University of Central Florida
364. Florida Gulf Coast University
388. Rollins College
392. Nova Southeastern University
478. Stetson University
480. Miami Dade College
490. University of Tampa
498. University of West Florida
523. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
529. Florida Southern College
542. Northwest Florida State College
543. Tallahassee Community College
561. Flagler College
563. Eckerd College
567. Broward College
580. Florida Institute of Technology
