University of Florida is ranked among USA’s Top 50 universities and #14 among public universities by the US News & World Report in its America’s Best Colleges Rankings 2014 – Summiya Yasmeen FOUNDED IN 1853, THE UNIVERSITY OF Florida (UF) is a major public, land-grant, research varsity with an enrolment of 50,000 students from 130 countries mentored by 4,000 faculty. Florida’s oldest higher education institution, UF is ranked among the country’s Top 50 universities and #14 among public universities by the US News & World Report in its America’s Best Colleges Rankings 2014. The 162-year-old varsity is also rated #1 on Washington Monthly magazine’s list of national universities offering œbest bang for the buck (2013) and #2 on SmartMoney’s list of varsities getting highest pay packages for tuition dollars (2012). UF alumni include nine former Florida governors, two Nobel Prize laureates, eight NASA astronauts, eight former US ambassadors, and dozens of professional and amateur athletes. One of only 17 public, land-grant universities in the Association of American Universities, UF comprises 16 colleges and 140 academic departments which offer over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 200 graduate degree and doctoral programmes. Recently, UF was ranked among the Top 20 research universities in the US by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, and #3 among public universities for awarding the most number of PhDs. The distinguishing feature of UF’s four-year undergrad programme is compulsory general-education humanities study for all first-year students to give them a common academic experience and the chance to reflect on the human condition and their own lives. Christened ‘What is the Good Life?’, it draws on art, music, literature, history, religion and philosophy to encourage students to examine how to live balanced, fulfilling lives. Gainesville. The largest city in Alachua county, Gainesville (pop.125,904) is the cultural, education and commercial centre of the North Central Florida region. Hosting an ethnically diverse population, the town boasts numerous historic buildings, parks, museums and lakes. Several thriving community theatres, music venues and galleries complement the university’s exciting arts and cultural programmes. About a 90-minute drive from the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico beaches, Gainesville enjoys sunshine and moderate temperatures year-round. Winter temperatures range from 5.7-12.7oC and in summer between 30-36oC. Picturesque and surrounded by natural wonders, including rivers, lakes and the crystal springs for which it™s famous, outdoor enthusiasts have the option to head to any of the 40 nature parks sited within 50 miles of Gainesville to picnic, boat, swim, dive, hike, camp, bike, hunt or fish. The nearest international airports connecting with Gainesville Regional Airport are in Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami and Tampa. Campus facilities. UF hosts over 900 buildings including 170 with classrooms and laboratories, and two television and four radio stations on its 2,000-acre campus. The green campus also houses museums, art galleries and performing arts venues including the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History, College of Design, Construction and Planning, Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, University Auditorium and Baughman…
