Education
The University of West Florida fell four points in its ranking among South Regional Universities, dropping from No. 14 in 2026 to a tie for No. 18 in 2027, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. The ranking is still above where UWF stood two years ago—No. 23.
- Top Public Schools-Regional South: No. 6 for 2026, dropping two spots to No. 8 for 2027
- Best Colleges for Veterans-Regional Universities South: dropped one spot, from No. 6 to a tie for No. 7
- Best Value Schools for In-State Students-Regional Universities South (newly established category): No. 4
UWF’s press release put a positive spin on the new rankings, noting that for the fifth consecutive year, the university ranked in the Top 10 for Public Schools and for Best Colleges for Veterans in the Regional South category.
“At UWF, we are committed to providing students with the education and opportunities they need to succeed in the workforce,” said UWF President Manny Diaz Jr. in the release. “These rankings reflect the strength of our academic programs, faculty and the success our students achieve. We are grateful to our Board of Trustees, the Florida Board of Governors and the Florida Legislature for their continued support.”
Most Florida public universities fell in the rankings, the Tampa Bay Times reports, both among public colleges and among all universities. The exceptions were Florida A&M University and Florida Atlantic University. Note: UWF is not ranked on the national universities list. It’s considered a regional school.
- FAMU rose 13 spots among public universities, from No. 92 to No. 79
- Florida Atlantic rose one spot to No. 99 among public universities
Elsewhere in the state system, the drops were broad:
- University of Florida dropped one spot to No. 8 in the public rankings
- University of South Florida fell three spots to No. 46
- Florida State University fell eight spots to No. 59
Among liberal arts colleges, New College of Florida dropped 15 spots to No. 150—after falling 13 spots last year and 22 the year before.