According to the Wall Street Journal’s recent report, UF lost its top spot among public universities in the United States.

According to the article, UF is now ranked 34th among public universities and 83rd among all universities. The new ranking is a significant drop from UF’s ranking in 2024, when it was ranked 1st among public universities and 15th overall.

The ranking included 500 private and public universities. An additional 100 universities were added to the Journal’s 2025 report, compared to the 400 universities in the 2024 report.

The journal determined its rankings based on components whose percentages remained the same as last year, including academic performance (70%), learning environment (20%) and diversity (10%). Each component is then further broken down into subcategories.

UF received a Salary Impact Score of 55 in 2025 compared to its score of 84 in 2024. The Salary Impact Score is based on estimated graduate salaries, the cost of living in the university’s state, and is then compared to the college’s performance. The Wall Street Journal calculates performance based on how a college compares to its students’ expected median earnings after graduation with their actual earnings.

However, the graduation rate rose from 94 to 100. The university’s diversity rate also increased from 60 to 78.

“Last week, Forbes ranked the University of Florida as the fourth-best public university in the country,” said UF spokeswoman Cynthia Roldan. “The formulas for the rankings change from year to year, but one thing is constant: The University of Florida is committed to excellence for our students, our faculty and our state.”

Contact Delia Rose Sauer at [email protected]. Follow her on X @_delia_rose_.