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PRESS RELEASE: Florida dominates national affordability rankings, including for online education

TALLAHASSEE — Recognizing Florida鈥檚 commitment to higher education affordability, recent rankings by AffordableColleges.com place several Florida universities among the top in the country for both traditional and online degrees.

Seven State University System institutions were ranked in the 鈥�50 Most Affordable In-State Public Universities,鈥� with the University of Florida, New College of Florida and the University of South Florida earning the top three slots. Further, the University of Florida earned the No. 1 ranking in the 鈥�50 Most Affordable Online Colleges鈥� category, with the University of Central Florida, Florida International University, University of South Florida, and University of West Florida all garnering spots in the top 20.

Governor Rick Scott said, 鈥淲e have worked non-stop to make Florida the best place in the nation to get a great higher education. By holding the line on tuition for the past five years, we鈥檝e given more families the opportunity to continue their education so they can achieve their dreams. Congratulations to all of the universities highlighted in today鈥檚 ranking. We will never stop improving our higher education system.鈥�

鈥淎t a time when many states across the country have continued to raise tuition, Governor Rick Scott, the Florida Legislature, and the Board of Governors have been absolutely committed to making sure students in Florida can acquire an excellent quality education in the format they want, and at a low price,鈥� said Ned Lautenbach, chair of the Board of Governors. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why our universities consistently achieve top rankings on efficiency, and it鈥檚 why U.S. News & World Report has ranked Florida the 鈥楾op State in the Country for Higher Education鈥� for the past two years.鈥�

The rankings for the 鈥淚n-State Public Universities鈥� category weighs criteria such as in-state tuition, the number of students receiving financial aid, graduation rates, and overall net cost. The 鈥淢ost Affordable Online Colleges鈥� category considers the price of achieving a four-year degree fully online and highlights the universities that provide the best return on investment and greatest earnings potential after graduation.

鈥淔lorida is a national leader in online education, offering a breadth and quality of online courses and programs that really can鈥檛 be matched elsewhere,鈥� said Ed Morton, chair of the Board of Governors Innovation and Online Committee. 鈥淲e take pride in providing access to our students at a price they can afford.鈥�

鈥淚n a variety of categories, Florida is frequently and increasingly rising to the top of national rankings lists,鈥� said Marshall Criser, State University System Chancellor. 鈥淭he takeaway is that, by putting students first, Florida is raising the bar for our universities and building momentum for Florida鈥檚 future.鈥�

The State University System of Florida is a constitutional body led by the 17-member Board of Governors. The system has 12 universities and more than 341,000 students, making it the second-largest public university system in the nation. Responsibilities include defining the distinctive mission of each institution and managing the system鈥檚 coordination and operation. The Board appoints a Chancellor who serves as the system鈥檚 chief executive. For more, visit flbog.edu, think-florida.org,or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.