The University of Central Florida ranks among the nation’s most innovative universities along with Harvard, Stanford, Duke, according to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges of 2018 guide.
UCF was listed as the No. 25 most innovative university out of nearly 1,400 universities and colleges in the nation.
The ranking, determined based on nominations from college presidents, provosts and admissions deans, is based on innovative improvements in curriculum, faculty, campus life, technology and other factors. Those administrators are asked to pick “schools that the public should be watching because of the cutting-edge changes the colleges are making on their campuses.”
“UCF was founded on innovation — it’s in our DNA,” said Provost and Executive Vice President Dale Whittaker. “As a 21st-century metropolitan research university, we must be innovative in how we serve our students, the ways we teach and learn information and how we bring new ideas or goods into the marketplace. Innovation drives our impact.”
In the magazine’s overall rankings of Best Colleges, UCF was listed at No. 90 among public institutions and No. 171 among all universities.
The magazine takes into account graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rates, alumni giving and peer assessment to rank the Best Colleges.
UCF’s also was ranked No. 91 in engineering doctorate programs, 128th among best undergraduate business programs, and was included in the A+ Schools for B Students list.