New College of Florida
New College of Florida fell to No. 150 among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings, released Tuesday. The school dropped 15 spots from No. 135 last year, after falling 13 spots the year before and 22 the year before that.
The Novo Collegian Alliance, an independent alumni organization, responded with a press release calling on the college’s Board of Trustees to react to the decline.
Four Years of Slippage
- 2023: No. 76 (the edition published before the January 2023 board restructuring)
- 2024: No. 100
- 2025: No. 122
- 2026: No. 135
- 2027: No. 150
That is a drop of 74 spots in four editions.
“This unidirectional and dramatic movement in the rankings over several years indicates the need for a response from the College’s governing board.”
Ben Brown, NCA board member
The alumni group’s argument. NCA says the decline coincides with substantial faculty and staff turnover, changes to admissions criteria and student demographics, and a new emphasis on collegiate athletics. It says millions of dollars have gone to athletics facilities and recruitment, an area the college never previously funded, while student housing needs remain unresolved despite tens of millions in spending. The group also says the per-student cost of a New College degree has continued to rise as the school’s national standing has fallen.
A shot at Corcoran. NCA President William Rosenberg accused college President Richard Corcoran of “cherry picking” by recently touting select facts suggesting the ranking is improving. Rosenberg said taxpayers, in return for what he described as a million-dollar compensation package for Corcoran, “are entitled to honesty, not window dressing.”
About the messenger. The Novo Collegian Alliance describes itself as an independent, unaffiliated Florida 501(c)(3) organization founded by and for the New College community. It has been critical of the changes at the college since 2023 and says it will continue tracking them. Its representatives include Rosenberg, Brown, who hosts the NCA podcast HAM Radio, and Secretary Brian Cody. Read NCA press release 09232026
