Report: FIU surges inside top 50 among public universities, 98th overall

MIAMI - Florida International University is the 46th-best public university and 98th-best school overall in the United States, according to rankings released by U.S. News and World Report.

"Today Miami-Dade joined a select group of U.S. metropolitan areas with more than one Top 100 national university," FIU President Kenneth A. Jessell said in a release. "A few years ago, we made the strategic decision to invest in finding innovative ways to help our students succeed and in doing that we have created a leading American university."

Founded in 1972, FIU ranked inside the top 50 for the first time in school history. Specifically, the school jumped 18 spots from last year among public universities and 26 spots overall to earn the new milestone.

The school also tied for No. 1 in social mobility, which measures the ability of graduates to use their degrees to launch careers and move up the economic ladder.

In addition, FIU listed as being the 2nd-best undergraduate business program in the nation, a position it has held for the last six years. The school also earned top 100 marks among all universities for most innovative, college for veterans, and best value.

"The success of our undergraduate business program, in particular, is a point of pride for FIU and our global city," FIU Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Elizabeth M. Bejar said. "FIU is preparing business leaders for South Florida and the world."

Overall, the University of California - Los Angelas ranked No. 1 among all public universities in the country. Other Florida universities high on the list included the University of Florida in 7th place and Florida State University in 23rd place.