FLORIDA Perception vs. Reality
Education in Florida is undersold
Florida's gains in K-12 education are underappreciated. The higher-ed system is improving in places but still spotty overall.
• Rankings
0 — Florida state universities ranked among the top 10 public universities by U.S. News. Four ranked among the top 100.
No. 19 University of Florida
No. 46 Florida State University
No. 97 University of Central Florida
No. 100 University of South Florida
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• Degrees
 [Photo: iStockphoto] |
7th — Florida's rank for the number of master's degrees awarded
6th — Florida's rank in doctoral degrees
No. 2 — Florida excels at producing associate's degrees, awarding the second-highest number of those degrees in the nation.
45th — Despite increases, Florida has the lowest tuition of all but five states and the District of Columbia.
Debt: Florida has the seventh-highest student loan default rate in the nation at 10.5% for 2009, higher than the national average of 8.8%.
Tuition:
A sampling of tuitions (2011-12, in-state):
» University of South Carolina: $10,168
» University of North Dakota: $7,092
» UNC-Chapel Hill: $7,008
» University of Mississippi: $5,790
» University of Florida: $5,656
» University of Central Florida: $5,584
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