Washington Monthly magazine’s new rankings of the top public educational institutions ranks UCF as the 40th best university in the nation, 9th “Best Bang for the Buck” in the southeast, and one of the best for student voting.
The magazine’s 2020 College Guide and Rankings rated 389 institutions on “how well they serve the country as a whole” — by recruiting and graduating lower- and middle-income students, encouraging student activism, and producing research and technologies that create high-paying jobs and address threats like climate change.
When adding non-public universities and colleges to the rankings, UCF ranks 71st best in the nation and 18th “Best Bang for the Buck” in the southeast.
“UCF has a strong focus on academic excellence and improving outcomes, both for our students and for society,” says President Alexander N. Cartwright. “These rankings reflect our growing reputation for providing a high-quality, affordable education and our longstanding commitment to helping our students overcome barriers and succeed.”
The rankings for “Best Bang for the Buck” are based on how well schools help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
The magazine says the new rankings are especially important for students and prospective students this year considering mass unemployment, the inequalities exposed by COVID-19, and nationwide protests against racial injustice.
The rankings for “Best Bang for the Buck” are based on how well schools help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. The list was created by isolating the social-mobility metrics from the main rankings of four-year institutions. At UCF, 35 percent of the students are their family’s first to attend a college or university.
Kiplinger and Forbes also both rank UCF among the nation’s best education values.
The unranked list of schools with the best voting includes 157 four- and two-year institutions. The list includes institutions that most inspire students to register and vote, the magazine says.
UCF has a formal plan to increase civic learning and political engagement, and has a goal of achieving 70 percent student voting this year.
