MIAMI, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Florida International University ranks No. 23 among public universities in the country and No. 62 overall in TIME’s America’s Best Colleges 2026-2027, a new national ranking that places significant emphasis on what students gain from their college education.  

The inaugural ranking, produced by TIME in partnership with Statista, recognizes 500 colleges and universities across the country based on student outcomes, learning environment and attractiveness to prospective students. 

Student outcomes account for 75% of a university’s overall score – by far the largest component of the ranking – and include graduate earnings, graduation rates and return on education. 

“FIU is a powerful example of what a great public research university can accomplish when it is relentlessly focused on excellence and student success,” said FIU President Jeanette M. Nuñez. “To be recognized by TIME among the nation’s top universities is a testament to the students, faculty, and staff that propel our university. FIU is not just preparing students to earn a degree; we are preparing them to lead, innovate, and succeed in a rapidly changing world. That is the standard we are setting at FIU, and we have no intention of slowing down.” 

Unlike rankings that rely heavily on institutional reputation or the academic profiles of incoming students, the TIME/Statista methodology seeks to measure the outcomes universities help their students achieve. 

For graduate earnings, for example, researchers considered whether graduates earned more than would be expected based on characteristics of the students and the institution. A similar approach was used for graduation rates, examining how effectively universities help students reach degree completion after accounting for differences in their incoming student populations. 

The ranking also evaluates return on education, measuring the financial payoff of a degree relative to its cost. The calculation measures how long it takes for graduates’ earnings gains to offset the cost of earning their degree, using a cost measure that accounts for financial aid and an earnings benchmark tailored to each institution’s student population. 

Together, the measures are designed to provide a broader picture of the return students receive on their investment in higher education. 

The remaining 25% of the ranking considers the learning environment, including student-to-faculty ratios, institutional investment per student, as well as indicators of student demand for an institution. 

TIME and Statista used federal data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey to develop the ranking. 

The recognition adds to a growing list of national rankings that have highlighted FIU for student success, social and economic mobility and outcomes, including No. 1 ranking in social mobility by U.S News and World Report.

Media Contact:
Madeline Baró
(305) 310-9665  
mbaro@fiu.edu
news.fiu.edu
@FIU

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SOURCE Florida International University