FAMU breaks into the USNWR top 100 best national public universities ranking

The much-anticipated U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2024” guidebook was released late Sunday night and FAMU achieved a coveted spot among the ranks of the nation's top 100 best national public universities by catapulting 12 slots to No. 91 (tie).  FAMU shared the No. 91 slot with California State University San Bernardino, Kansas State University, The University of Alabama and University of Hawaii at Manoa.

FAMU moved up 31 spots among USNWR's overall ranking of national universities placing No. 170, good enough to place it as the second highest ranked HBCU.  Howard, which has a medical school, came in at No. 115.

U.S. News defines “national universities” as schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees; in many cases they place strong emphasis on research. 

Still the No. 1 public HBCU

The new national ranking also places FAMU as the third best HBCU overall behind only Spelman College and Howard University.  FAMU leaped past Hampton, Xavier (LA), Morehouse, and Tuskegee in ranking.  The university also maintained bragging rights as the highest ranked public historically black college or university in the country for the fifth consecutive year.   

This year’s ranking news continues FAMU’s much heralded upward rise which started with the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings when the university jumped 13 slots, from 117 to 104 among nationally ranked universities.

FAMU continued to build upon that success last year by moving up to the 103^rd slot.  

UF & FSU drop in rankings

Meanwhile, the University of Florida dropped one spot in the rankings from No. 5 to No. 6 national public universities.  Florida State also dropped four slots in the falling from No. 19 to No. 23 (tie) top public.

The trusted report compared more than 1,400 undergraduate institutions across 17 measures of "academic quality".

For the past few years, President Larry Robinson has had FAMU 'laser focused' on breaking into the Top 100 public ranks, often with out any extra funding from the state of Florida.

Robinson alluded to what was to come during his remarks at last Friday's President's Convocation when he said we may have something more to say about our March to the Top 100, next week.  He then went on to say "This IS Our Time" with a wry smile.

Here's how other Florida (public universities) placed in the 2023-24 Best colleges ranking:   

• 6. University of Florida  
• 23. Florida State University  
• 45. University of South Florida  
• 64. Florida International University  
• 64. University of Central Florida  
• 91. Florida A&M University  
• 112. Florida Atlantic University  
• 129. University of North Florida  
• 162. Florida Gulf Coast University  
• (Not ranked) Florida Polytechnic University 

Here's how FAMU compared among publics and privates in Florida that made it into the top 300 (along with the amount their rating rose or fell):

28. University of Florida (tied) +1
53. Florida State University (tied) +2
67. University of Miami (tied) -12
89. University of South Florida (tied) +8
124. Florida International University (tied) +26
124. University of Central Florida (tied) +13
170. Florida A&M University (tied) +31
209. Florida Atlantic University (tied) +53
227. Nova Southeastern University (tied) -9
236. University of North Florida (tied) +26
249. Keiser University (tied) -31
269. Florida Institute of Technology (tied) -68