U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings

Top Rankings:2026 Best Colleges U.S. News & World Report takes into account graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rates, alumni giving and peer assessment to rank the Best Colleges. Discover how the University of Central Florida measures up against other universities in the nation. The first ranking listed encompasses all universities. The second, denoted in parentheses, is their ranking among only public universities. #15 Most Innovative University in the Nation (No. 6) #27 Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs (No. 8) #42 Top Performers on Social Mobility (No. 35) #57 Top Public Schools #74 Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs (No. 55) #77 Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (No. 46) #78 Best Colleges for Veterans (No. 56) #78 Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs (No. 46) #109 Best Undergraduate Business Programs (No. 65) #117 National Universities #156 Best Value Schools (No. 63) #169 Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs (No. 97) #174 Best Undergraduate Economics Programs (No. 88) 2025-2026Best Global Universities Rankings U.S. News ranked thousands of universities around the world based on their academic research and reputation. #41Optics #99Public, Environmental and Occupational Health #99Social Sciences and Public Health #219Computer Science #238Electrical and Electronic Engineering #260Psychiatry/Psychology #296Engineering #325Nanoscience and Nanotechnology #334Economics and Business #351Mathematics #379Physics #413Physical Chemistry #434Best Global Universities #436Materials Science #507Clinical Medicine #774Environment/Ecology #888Chemistry Launching Space Innovation Established in 1963 to provide talent to the burgeoning space industry at nearby Kennedy Space Center, UCF has a legacy of providing a talent pipeline to help NASA reach its goals. Since then, our faculty researchers and alumni have led the way in space exploration — from exploring the possibilities of mining the moon to simulating Martian soil. Discover our impact on space 2026 Best Graduate School Rankings University of Central Florida is one of more than 800 institutions with graduate schools surveyed by U.S. News on an annual basis. The first ranking listed encompasses all universities. The second, denoted in parentheses, is their ranking among only public universities. * denotes last available ranking published by U.S. News and World Report. #1 Homeland/National Security and Emergency Management(No. 1) #9 Student Counseling and Personnel Services(No. 8) #12Atomic/Molecular/Optical (No. 8) #16 Nonprofit Management(No. 11) #20 Local Governemnt Management(No. 12) #23 Public Finance and Budgeting(No. 15) #25 Public Management and Leadership (No. 14) #34 Physical Therapy(No. 15) #37 Best Nursing School: Doctor of Nursing Practice(No. 24) #38 Aerospace Engineering(No. 29) #39 Health Care Management*(No. 7) #40 Speech-Language Pathology(No. 34) #41 Best Overall Education School(No. 31) #46 Industrial Engineering(No. 34) #47 Best Overall Public Affairs School(No. 24) #52 Real Estate MBA(No. 30) #54 Computer Engineering(No. 31) #57 Electrical Engineering(No. 32) #58 Management MBA (No. 28) #61 Civil Engineering(No. 40) #65 Computer Science(No. 38) #65 Materials Engineering(No. 42) #65 Best Medical School: Most Graduates Practicing Patient Care in Medically Underserved Areas(No. 44) #70 Mechanical Engineering(No. 42) #71 Best Engineering School(No. 43) #71 Environmental Engineering(No. 44) #74 Part-time MBA(No. 44) #67 Social Work*(No. 38) #77 Accounting No. 46 #79 Executive MBA No. 42 #81 Overall Physics (No. 52) #92 Overall Criminology* #92 Overall Statistics (No.74) #105 Best Medical School: Practicing in Primary Care Specialties (MDP) #105 Best Medical School: Practicing Patient Care in Rural Areas(No. 70) #106 Finance MBA (No. 58) #109 Biomedical Engineering(No. 67) #110 Overall Sociology* #111 Overall Chemistry (No.73) #112 Business Analytics MBA (No. 71) #117 Overall Math (No. 74) #127 Clinical Psychology(No. 106) #131 Overall English* #140 Overall Psychology* #144 Overall Biology* #148Best Medical School: Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Specialties (AAFD) (No. 92) #153Overall Geology/Earth Science (No. 6) At UCF, bold innovators and changemakers pursue excellence and propel the future. Meet UCF Faculty 2026 Best Online Programs Rankings UCF’s online programs are ranked as some of the top in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The online rankings are based on the publication’s 2026 Best Online Programs rankings, which assess schools based on student engagement, online learning technologies and support, faculty credentials and training, and the program’s reputation among other universities. 2026 Best Colleges Rankings Rank Category #3 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs in Psychology #5 Best Online Graduate Education Programs: Educational/ Instructional Media Design #6 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs #6 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans #6 Best Online Bachelor’s in Business Programs #16 Best Online Graduate Education Programs: Educational Administration & Supervision #17 Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs #17 Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs for Veterans #17 Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs #20 Best Online Graduate Education Programs for Veterans #33 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs for Veterans #36 Best Online Graduate Education Programs #50 Best Online Graduate Engineering Programs A Top 10 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in 2026 UCF is ranked No. 6 in Best Online Undergraduate Programs in the Nation. Using indicators of academic excellence, U.S. News & World Report ranks regionally accredited colleges and universities. A Top 10 Best Online Bachelor’s Program for Veterans in 2026 U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Central Florida as one of the best online bachelor’s degree programs that help veterans reduce the cost of school. Available Degrees Search UCF majors, minors, masters, doctoral degrees and more Schedule A Tour Take a tour of the campus and see if UCF is right for you Apply Now Whether you’re new or applying for graduate school, get started today In The News Check out more stories Research UCF Researcher Contributes to Antscan, a Global 3D Ant Biodiversity Database Using an advanced X-ray technique, Assistant Professor of Biology Jeffrey Sosa-Calvo has helped create detailed images of 2,000 ant specimens, offering insight on their physical… Science & Technology How One Student Started a Sustainable Cycle of Wins Mason Clewis scaled a simple idea for the Great Navel Orange Race into a network that will help students save money and keep UCF’s campus… Research UCF Study Suggests Some Alzheimer’s Symptoms May Begin Outside the Brain Using human-on-a-chip technology, UCF researchers reveal that movement-related Alzheimer’s symptoms may start in the body’s nerves and muscles. Twelve colleges. Unlimited possibilities. At UCF, we offer an array of academic options for just about every interest. Check out our 245+ degree programs, award-winning faculty and groundbreaking research. You’ll quickly discover all there is to experience and learn at one of the nation’s most innovative universities. Arts and Humanities Business Burnett Honors Community Innovation and Education Engineering and Computer Science Health Professions and Sciences Medicine Nursing Optics and Photonics Rosen College of Hospitality Management Sciences Graduate Studies Ready to Get Started? Find the degree program that’s right for you