Best Grad Schools in Florida 2023

Best Grad Schools in Florida 2023

By James Barham

Published: Mar 16, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

The best grad schools in Florida offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking. Grad school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession.

10 Best Grad Schools in Florida

University of Florida

67%

University of Miami

63%

Florida State University

62%

University of South Florida

51%

Florida International University

49%

University of Central Florida

48%

Florida Atlantic University

45%

Rollins College

39%

Florida Institute of Technology

39%

Florida A&M University

39%

Keiser University

96%

Nova Southeastern University

93%

Florida Gulf Coast University

89%

Lynn University

83%

Florida Atlantic University

78%

University of North Florida

77%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

72%

Saint Leo University

71%

St. Thomas University

71%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

70%

University of Central Florida

31 to 1

Southeastern University

28 to 1

Florida International University

25 to 1

University of South Florida

22 to 1

Florida Atlantic University

22 to 1

Florida Gulf Coast University

22 to 1

Florida State University

21 to 1

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

20 to 1

University of West Florida

20 to 1

University of North Florida

19 to 1

University of Miami

$54,760

Rollins College

$54,740

Florida Institute of Technology

$43,246

Lynn University

$40,900

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

$39,066

Florida Southern College

$38,980

Nova Southeastern University

$34,570

St. Thomas University

$32,940

Barry University

$31,540

Southeastern University

$28,320

University of Miami

$39,834

Keiser University

$29,632

Rollins College

$26,190

Florida Institute of Technology

$22,338

Nova Southeastern University

$21,153

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

$18,756

Barry University

$17,820

Florida Southern College

$17,232

Saint Leo University

$15,218

St. Thomas University

$14,400

Southeastern University

18%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach

19%

St. Thomas University

22%

Lynn University

23%

Florida Gulf Coast University

27%

Keiser University

27%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

28%

Saint Leo University

29%

University of West Florida

31%

Florida Southern College

32%

University of Miami

28%

University of Florida

30%

Florida A&M University

35%

University of Central Florida

36%

Florida State University

37%

Southeastern University

45%

Rollins College

49%

University of South Florida

49%

University of West Florida

53%

Florida Southern College

61%

St. Thomas University

11 to 1

University of Miami

12 to 1

Rollins College

12 to 1

Florida A&M University

14 to 1

Florida Southern College

14 to 1

Florida Institute of Technology

15 to 1

Barry University

15 to 1

Keiser University

15 to 1

Lynn University

17 to 1

University of Florida

17 to 1

Florida Atlantic University

$2,522

Florida A&M University

$3,152

University of West Florida

$3,735

University of North Florida

$3,996

Florida Gulf Coast University

$4,191

University of Florida

$4,477

University of Central Florida

$4,478

University of South Florida

$4,559

Florida State University

$4,640

Florida International University

$4,721

Florida Atlantic University

$5,467

University of Central Florida

$6,916

Florida Gulf Coast University

$6,974

University of West Florida

$7,088

Florida A&M University

$8,019

University of South Florida

$8,350

University of North Florida

$8,570

Florida International University

$8,912

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

$8,916

Florida State University

$9,684

Key Takeaways

Florida has significantly improved in the education sector. Significant improvements have been made while Ron DeSantis has been governor of the state.
There are numerous options for top-rated grad schools in Florida. Using our rankings, you can find the perfect school for your needs, whether that be a large public university, a private college, a research university, or a small college. Students should also consider whether they want to attend school online or at a college campus.
Going to graduate school is challenging. But after you decide the path you wish to pursue, the personal and professional benefits you gain after graduation make the investment worth it.

Florida and Its Numerous Top-Rated Grad Schools

If you’re considering going to graduate school, you most likely have a clear idea of the benefits of additional education. With an advanced degree, you open more career options. Today, having a bachelor’s degree alone is often not enough to help you stand out in the job market. This is why pursuing a graduate degree is more important than ever.

In Florida, the higher education system consists of both private and public schools, including the State University System of Florida (SUSF). In 2021, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida the third best state for education and was continuously improving literacy in younger students.

Why You Need to Enroll in a Graduate School

As you start scouting for graduate schools across Florida, you must first understand why you should consider enrolling in graduate studies program. Let’s dive into the major impacts a graduate school can have on your life—both personally and professionally.

Personal Benefits

You become a lifelong learner: As technology and culture are constantly progressing, you must take the relevant steps to keep up with new developments.

To become a lifelong learner, you need to constantly strive to master new skills, and going to graduate school is a perfect way to direct this pursuit of knowledge. Once you enroll in graduate studies, you will eventually become an expert in a specific field and be introduced to different opinions and viewpoints that may differ from yours. This type of exposure is an advantage to both personal and professional improvement.

Personal Accomplishment: Earning a graduate degree significantly boosts your confidence. When you can prove your ability and knowledge to complete what you’ve started with your degree, and demonstrate your dedication, understanding, skills, and knowledge.

Lifestyle Changes: A graduate degree increases earnings potential and expands your career options, which translates to more financial freedom.

Professional Benefits

Increased Salary: Someone with a graduate degree has greater earning potential than someone who only holds a bachelor’s degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a master’s degree holder can take home $11,000 more annually than one with a bachelor’s degree. If you continue on to earn your doctorate, that’s roughly an additional $27,000 annual salary.

Career Advancement: Those looking for better career opportunities should start gaining more skills through a graduate program. This additional education gives you a better and more competitive edge over somebody with an equal amount of experience but less education under their belt.

Careerbuilder.com asserted that 33% of employers prefer workers with a master’s degree for positions previously taken by four-year degree holders.

Employment Opportunities: Many industries look for highly-educated professionals. While there are certainly jobs available for those with a bachelor’s degree, the fastest-growing careers usually require a graduate degree.

Networking: You will have many opportunities for networking in grad school. You will study and research alongside a group of students and work closely with your professors.

This will allow you to build relationships that will help you thrive in your field. You may also qualify for an apprenticeship or research opportunity, or better yet, find a post-graduate job waiting for you even before you complete your graduate studies.

Colleges and Universities in Florida

The state of Florida offers a wealth of options for students seeking both traditional and online degree programs. With more than 40 public and 50 private schools, prospective students can earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from an extremely wide variety of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Florida.

Colleges in Florida are also uniquely affordable, with the state average tuition of $6,360 falling well under the national average. Among the most popular disciplines in Florida are anthropology, nursing, law, religious studies, and earth sciences. Many of these valuable degrees are available through online courses and fully online degree programs.

Indeed, nearly 40 colleges and universities in Florida offer online degrees. These online degree programs offer flexibility, convenience and accessibility. Make sure to choose an online degree program with accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Among the largest colleges in Florida is Miami Dade College. This public college is home to over 165,000 students across eight campuses and 21 outreach centers as well as various excellent online degree programs. Miami Dade College also offers an extremely affordable in-state tuition of $3,000.

Students seeking a religious school can choose from 21 colleges and universities that are grounded in Judeo-Christian, Catholic, Seventh-day Adventist, and Christian principles. Ranked as the top two schools, the University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU) both have large student populations, with just over 45,000 at UF and just under 39,000 as FSU. Both are also affordable, with tuition at $6,000 and $7,000, respectively.

At $50,000, the University of Miami is the most expensive private college in the state and has graduated influential people such as Gene Roddenberry, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne The Rock Johnson. Florida also offers its nursing students up to $4,000 in financial aid through their Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Coastal cities, sandy beaches, orange groves, and vibrant flowers - it’s no wonder Florida is called The Sunshine State. Home to the famous Everglades National Park and Disney World, Florida also boasts 90 higher education institutes.

With so many options for both traditional and online colleges in Florida, this state has a lot to offer higher education students. Check out Florida’s best degree programs and top career paths.

What are Florida’s Colleges & Universities?

Florida’s Best Overall

Florida's Best Grad Schools Badge — Download Badge

How do we determine Florida's best graduate schools?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

There are 23 doctorate-granting graduate schools in Florida. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the Florida is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.

Florida’s Best Graduate Schools

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Florida’s Best Grad School for Your Area of Interest

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.