GAINESVILLE, Florida -- U.S. News & World Report today named the University of Florida the No. 6 public university in the country, continuing the university’s upward trajectory and placing it on the cusp of reaching its top-five goal.

The announcement marks the fourth consecutive year UF rose in the rankings for public universities, advancing from No. 14 in 2017 to No. 6 today. During the same period, UF leapt from No. 50 to No. 30 on the U.S. News National Universities list, which includes both public and private institutions.

The top 10 public universities are:

1 University of California, Los Angeles
2 University of California, Berkeley
3 University of Michigan -- Ann Arbor
4 University of Virginia
5 University of North Carolina -- Chapel Hill
6 University of Florida *
6 University of California -- Santa Barbara *
8 Georgia Institute of Technology *
8 University of California, Irvine *
8 University of California, San Diego *

*tie

UF reduced the student/faculty ratio to 17:1 compared to 21:1 four years ago, decreasing the class size to fewer than 20 students for more than 50% of the undergraduate classes, second only to the University of Michigan among leading public universities. Less than 10% of the undergraduate classes at UF have 50 or more students, with only to the College of William & Mary performing better among leading public institutions.

UF was also tied with Stanford University and Yale University as the No. 7 university in the country among both public and private institutions on a “Student Outcome” measure that includes freshman retention, graduation rates, social mobility for low-income students and

student debt. UF has the lowest tuition and fees of any leading public or private university in the Association of American Universities and the lowest cumulative debt of any class over the last six years ($20,388).

“I’d like to thank Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature, our Congressional representatives, the Florida Board of Governors, the UF Board of Trustees, President Fuchs, the faculty and staff as well as the students who are working together as one team -- even in difficult circumstances -- to support this university,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees. "Our momentum is unbreakable, and we will fulfill our potential and promise of reaching top-five status. Now is the time to double down, make the final push and carry the ball across the goal line. The University of Florida does not belong to any one person. The University of Florida belongs to the people of Florida, and we owe it to them to serve as its stewards, shepherding it to a bright and successful future as a cherished resource in service to the people of our great state. That is our mission, and we will not fail."

Said UF President Kent Fuchs: “By nearly every measure, UF is continuing to make gains, and I’m thankful to the elected leaders, faculty, staff and supporters of the university who have made that possible. We have momentum, focus and hard work on our side, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this university.”

In addition to the overall rankings, U.S. News also ranks undergraduate degree programs in business, engineering, and computer science.

The Warrington College of Business is ranked No.24 in the nation among public and private universities with the programs in real estate (No. 7), marketing (No. 10), accounting (No. 11), finance (No. 25), entrepreneurship (No. 27), and management (No. 27 up from No. 32 last year) specifically recognized.

UF’s undergraduate program in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is also on the rise, advancing from No. 34 to No. 32 this year. The highest-rated program at UF is biological/agricultural engineering (No. 7), followed by materials (No. 14), industrial (No. 17), environmental (No. 21), civil (No. 26), chemical (No. 28), and mechanical (No. 33).

U.S. News published the first-ever national ranking of undergraduate computer science programs this year, with UF ranking in the top 10% at No. 48 out of 481 public and private programs.

The recognitions by U.S. News come on the heels of a banner year for the university, which broke records on research expenditures and awards and launched a ground-breaking artificial intelligence, or AI, initiative that will set the university apart nationally. UF’s AI initiative is anchored by a $50 million gift from UF alumnus Chris Malachowsky and technology company NVIDIA and will integrate artificial intelligence across academic and research disciplines, fueling an AI-enabled workforce.