The University of South Florida’s performance places second among all state universities, according to new data presented this week to the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), providing a strong indicator that USF is leading the way in driving the state’s economy and advancing communities within the Tampa Bay region. The BOG measures each university against a series of student success-focused metrics that offer insight into how institutions are meeting the state’s needs.
No university scored higher in the BOG’s performance model than USF in several important categories tied directly to economic and workforce development, including the percentage of bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees awarded in areas of strategic emphasis for the state and average wages of undergraduate students one year after earning their degrees. The categories of strategic emphasis were developed by the BOG to help align degree production goals with workforce demand, and include fields such as STEM, health care, cybersecurity and teacher preparation.
“The University of South Florida is laser-focused on preparing our students for careers in high-demand fields and filling the talent pipeline for employers in the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida,” USF President Rhea Law said. “USF’s performance as an institution is driven by the talent and dedication of our hard-working students, faculty and support staff.”
Compared to other Florida institutions, USF also scored well in several other key benchmarks, including four-year graduation rates, low costs to students and accessibility to the institution for lower income students who receive federal need-based financial aid through Pell Grants.
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 combined performance of the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses.
The BOG’s performance model is tied to millions of dollars in state funding that universities can earn, or have at risk, each year based on their outcomes. More information on the BOG’s performance model is available here.
USF’s strong performance follows a historically successful legislative session for the university that includes transformational budget increases to further support student and faculty success, and bolster USF’s pursuit of becoming a top 25 public university.