May 4, 2023
FDOE Press Office
850-245-0413
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~ Florida higher education system ranked #1 for seventh year in a row ~
Tallahassee, Fla., May 4, 2023 – Today, Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. celebrates Florida’s ranking as number one in education by U.S. News & World Report. Under Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership, Florida continues to be the national leader in education. The ranking methodology uses a variety of metrics to measure the overall quality of each state’s education system from prekindergarten through higher education.
Since Governor DeSantis took office, Florida has prioritized education by providing teachers historic salary increases, ensuring students were able to return to in-person instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic, abolishing woke ideology from the classroom, eliminating Common Core and transitioning to a progress monitoring system for accountability.
“The Florida education model stands alone as a shining example for all other states to follow,” said Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. “Thank you to the leadership of Governor DeSantis and Florida’s outstanding teachers and students who made this recognition possible. While we are proud of this accomplishment, we will continue to multiply our efforts to solidify Florida’s reputation as the Education State”
The report incorporated data from higher education, including graduation rates, population with advanced degrees, debt at graduation and the cost of tuition and fees. College readiness, high school graduation rate, preschool enrollment and results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were the metrics used to evaluate the effectiveness of education from prekindergarten through grade 12.
Highlights from Florida’s number one position include:
- Florida ranks number one for higher education for the 7th year in a row.
- Florida boasts the lowest higher education in-state tuition and fees among all states.
- The state’s high school graduation rate was 3.7 percentage points above the national average according to U.S. News & World Report.
- Florida came in second for completers of two-year degree programs and ranked fourth for four-year graduation rates at higher education institutions.
- Florida’s college graduates had less debt at graduation than the national average by nearly $5,000.
- Florida ranked 12th overall for the percentage of children enrolled in a preschool program.
- Florida improved from third to first in education since Governor DeSantis took office.
