AUDIO FSU Headlines: Radio Aug. 28, 2008 Good US News for FSU — The excellence at work at Florida State University is getting some recognition, even in times of financial uncertainty.

Florida State University is one of the top 50 public universities in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2009" edition.

FSU tied with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for 50th place among the top 50 public "national" universities. In addition, FSU's overall ranking jumped 10 places to No. 102 among all universities - public and private - up from last year's ranking of 112.

"We are very pleased to see that the strides Florida State University is making in terms of student aid, retention and graduation rates are reflected in the U.S. News and World Report's rankings," said FSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Lawrence G. Abele. "With the budget crisis facing Florida's universities, there are many funding issues that affect our rankings that are out of our control, but we continue to strive for excellence and it shows in the success of our students."

The U.S. News and World Report also lauded FSU in a category called "A+ Schools for B Students." Although 50 percent of incoming FSU students have grade point averages between 3.7 and 4.3 - well above a "B" average - Abele said FSU's listing in this category is reflective of the university's approach of looking beyond SAT scores when making admissions decisions.

"We're an A+ school that looks at more than a single test score," he said. "That's one exam, one time. We put much more weight on the rigor of high school courses. We're looking at the total student."

FSU's commitment to the long-term achievement of each student remains critical to the university's mission, Abele said. That's why FSU is No. 1 in the nation in reducing the gap in graduation rates between African-American and white students, according to Education Sector, a nonpartisan think tank based in Washington. More than 72 percent of African-American students - who make up 12 percent of FSU's student body - graduate within six years, thanks largely to the efforts of FSU's Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE). Nationally, fewer than half of African-American students who enroll in college graduate within six years.

Another way FSU demonstrates its commitment to student success is through need-based scholarships, Abele said. Because FSU offers the scholarships, only 32 percent of FSU students graduate with debt. The average amount of their debt totaled $13,855, which ranked FSU 12th on the national universities "least debt" list.

The recognition that FSU is a university that accepts students with a desire to achieve has helped increase the number of top students who apply. FSU's ranking in "student selectivity" jumped 21 places from 120th to 99th among all universities, and improvements in retention and graduation rates saw that ranking rise from 96th to 91st place.

"As Florida State becomes increasingly more selective, we seek to recruit outstanding scholars, whose strength, skill and character will help advance Florida, the nation and our world," Abele said.

Among those outstanding students are Rebecca Stone, a chemical engineering student, and Priya Pal, a chemistry and biomedical mathematics double major, who won prestigious Goldwater Scholarships, 10 2007 Fulbright Scholars, and Rhodes Scholars Garrett Johnson (2006) and Joseph O'Shea (2008). The Rhodes Scholarship is the pinnacle of student achievement worldwide, and FSU has outpaced virtually all other universities by producing two winners since 2006.

Such student success stories have likely contributed to FSU's ranking of 86 in peer assessment - up from 92. Peer assessment weighs heavily - 25 percent - among factors the U.S. News and World Report uses to determine overall rankings.

For example, FSU's College of Business was recognized as having one of the best insurance and risk management programs in the country. The program ranked fifth among all universities and fourth among publics. In addition, the real estate program ranked 11th among all universities and eighth among public universities.

"This is another high mark for our risk management and insurance faculty," said College of Business Dean Caryn L. Beck-Dudley. "They continue to build on the college's strong history of providing top-notch education for those tasked with reducing uncertainty and offering protection from catastrophic loss."