UCF is intensely focused on helping students of all backgrounds succeed. As a result of the university’s success, UCF is among the nation’s top universities overall and for social mobility — according to the Washington Monthly magazine’s 2025 rankings released this week.

For the past decade, UCF has made great strides in the area of social mobility by eliminating achievement gaps and reducing barriers for students of all backgrounds and incomes.

UCF ranks No. 7 for Social Mobility among public schools and No. 16 overall — placing in the top 4% among all universities and second in Florida. UCF is also the overall No. 5 Best Bang for the Buck – Southeast university.

For the second year in a row, UCF ranks as the No. 36 Best National University among all schools and No. 15 among public institutions.

“Our objective at UCF is to help students transform their aspirations into achievements,” says Paul Dosal, senior vice president for student success. “We are doing that by forging a care management approach to student success, providing students with prescriptive, proactive and holistic support. These rankings validate that approach and offer encouragement as we evolve and grow our programs.”

Washington Monthly’s rankings are based on three equally weighted measures of social mobility, research and service, and consider 1,444 universities across the U.S.

As the University for the Future, UCF aims to unleash the potential of its people and their ideas to positively change the world. UCF’s No. 65 research rank and No. 101 service rank among public schools reflect this dedication to academic and societal progress.

Fostering Social Mobility

A college degree paves the way to a stable career and financial stability for students, their families and the generations that follow them.

The number of graduates who received Pell grant assistance is one factor Washington Monthly considers for the rankings. UCF produces the most Pell grant graduates among public schools and the second most among all schools nationally. Based on Washington Monthly’s data, UCF is also among the top 8% most affordable universities for families below $75,000 in income.

There’s a positive relationship between a student earning their degree and making social and economic progress. Higher education provides a path to achieving the life-changing benefits of upward mobility.

Among UCF’s recent graduates whose lives have been transformed by earning their degree at the university is health sciences alum and first-generation student Victoria Orindas ’22. When she was 16, Orindas and her family immigrated to the United States from the Republic of Moldova for better educational opportunities. After graduation, Orindas worked as a program analyst for the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, and she is now a student at the UC Berkley School of Law.

While at UCF, Orindas was heavily involved with Hearts for the Homeless and helped launch the UCF chapter of SALT (Service and Love Together) Outreach, a nonprofit that serves the homeless population in Central Florida, which led to her selection as one of the 2022 Clinton Global Initiative University fellows. “Despite having several obstacles as an immigrant, any student, regardless of their background, can achieve their goals at UCF with the resources available,” Orindas says. “What’s most important to me is giving back to the community by making time for an important cause.”

Driving Innovative Research

As a metropolitan research university, UCF continues to produce innovative discoveries and solutions in fields from engineering to hospitality. UCF is a Carnegie Foundation R1 institution, which means it’s among the highest performing in research and development.

As part of Washington Monthly’s rankings, the number of science and engineering doctoral degrees awarded is considered. UCF is in the top 14% nationally for producing graduates in these areas, with 235 degrees awarded in 2023-24. UCF produces one-quarter of engineering and computer science graduates in Florida, according to the State University System.

The number of faculty who earned prestigious awards also contributes to the rankings. Top honors for UCF faculty in the past year include five faculty who were honored with U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER awards, including four in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and one in the College of Sciences.

UCF’s research spending for 2023-24 was $218 million, and includes impactful projects such as:

  • A $2.74 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to develop AI-driven technologies to improve operations and decision-making across the agricultural industry.
  • A $1.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to develop a novel metallization process that could improve the efficiency and lower the cost of solar cells, making solar energy more accessible.
  • A $1.15 million Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project awarded to develop a highly sensitive infrared imaging system designed to enable improved night vision, space exploration and healthcare diagnostics.

Providing Service and Support

With a commitment to promoting prosperity across UCF’s communities, Knights across the university extend their service beyond the campus borders.

Last year, UCF was one of 40 impactful institutions nationwide that have earned the 2024 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, which Washington Monthly factored into its rankings. This is the third time UCF has earned the designation.

Some of UCF’s community engagement efforts include:

  • Citizen Science GIS: Developed by College of Sciences Associate Professor Timothy Hawthorne, this organization connects scientists and society using geospatial technologies to make science more accessible and responsive to community concerns. In early 2022, Citizen Science GIS designed and launched the nation’s first GeoBus, which is a mobile STEAM learning lab powered by solar on a repurposed 40-foot city bus that provides geospatial technology learning experiences to K-12 youth and teachers across Florida.
  • The UCF Center for Community Schools:  This initiative unites educational institutions, healthcare providers, and community organizations to deliver comprehensive support services that enhance student achievement and community health. This collaborative model has successfully maximized success inside and outside the classroom, helped reduce crime and transformed the overall quality of life for underserved communities.
  • UCF Smart and Trustworthy Air Quality Sensor Network (STAIR): Through this project, multidisciplinary researchers at UCF designed and built low-cost, cybersecure, solar-powered air quality monitors and installed more than 50 across downtown Orlando. The effort is driven by College of Engineering and Computer Science Assistant Professor Haofei Yu, College of Community Innovation and Education Assistant Professor Kelly Stevens and Professor Thomas Bryer.