TAMPA, Fla. (June 23, 2021) – The University of South Florida (USF) is once again among the leaders in the State University System’s performance-based funding scores for 2021, according to data released today during a meeting of the Florida Board of Governors (BOG).
USF placed second out of 12 state universities in the model that measures each institution’s performance in a series of 10 student success-based metrics, earning 94 out of a possible 100 points. Since the state implemented the performance-based funding model in 2014, USF is the only university to finish in the top four every year. USF’s position includes the performance of the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses.
USF earned perfect scores for excellence in the following categories, according to the BOG’s formula:
- Four-year graduation rate
- Median wages of graduates who earned a bachelor’s degree
- Bachelor’s degrees awarded in areas of strategic emphasis
- Graduate degrees awarded in areas of strategic emphasis
- Net tuition and fees per 120 credit hours
“The University of South Florida is proud to be recognized for sustaining top scores in our state’s critical performance metrics, especially given the unprecedented challenges our university community successfully navigated throughout the global pandemic,” USF President Steven C. Currall said. “USF’s performance reflects our commitment – year after year – to position our students for lifelong success, beginning with graduating on time, with little debt, and skilled for high-wage, high-demand jobs in our state.”
The state’s metrics are designed to focus on key performance indicators, such as affordable access, graduating students at a high rate, minimizing student debt and preparing students for high-skilled, high-paying jobs in high-demand fields. USF also performed particularly well in the newest metric, the two-year graduation rate for transfer students from the Florida College System, which reaffirms the university’s commitment to student access for success.
More information on the BOG’s performance-based funding model is available here.
About the University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report’s national university rankings than USF. Serving more than 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF has earned widespread national recognition for its success graduating under-represented minority and limited-income students at rates equal to or higher than white and higher income students. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at usf.edu.