UF Facts
Florida's leading university traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853. It opened its doors in Gainesville in 1906 with 102 students.
With an enrollment of more than 50,000 students annually, UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes.
Since 1985, UF has been a member of the Association of American Universities, the prestigious higher-education organization comprising the top 63 public and private institutions in North America.
Educational Excellence
Faculty
UF’s talented faculty members are highly recognized within their respective fields.
UF is consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities: No. 15 in U.S. News & World Report “Top Public Universities” (August 2009); No. 3 in The Center’s “Top Public Research Universities” (2008); No. 2 in Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Public Colleges” (2010).
UF has 4,164 faculty members with distinguished records in teaching, research and service, including 52 Eminent Scholar chairs and 35 faculty elections to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, or the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Awards include a Fields Medal, two Pulitzer Prizes, NASA’s top award for research, and Smithsonian Institution’s conservation award.
Student
Approximately 90 percent of incoming freshmen score above the national average on standardized exams. The fall 2009 incoming freshman class had an average 4.14 GPA and 1963 SAT score.
UF admitted 1,179 International Baccalaureate students — more than any other university in the U.S. — in fall 2009.
The freshman retention rate of 95 percent is among the highest in the country.
UF ranked second among AAU public universities in bachelor's degrees awarded to African-American students in 2008-09 and second among AAU public universities in bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2008-09.
UF ranked second among AAU public universities in master's degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2008-09.
UF ranked second among AAU public universities in doctoral degrees awarded to African-American students in 2008-09, and fifth among AAU public universities in doctoral degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2008-09.
UF ranked fourth among AAU public universities in first professional degrees awarded to African-American students in 2008-09 and second among AAU public universities in first professional degrees awarded to Hispanic students in 2008-09.
Research and Discoveries
UF is a leader in research and discoveries which improve the lives of individuals throughout the state, nation and world.
UF received more than $574 million in research awards in 2008-09.
UF has more than $750 million in new research facilities recently completed or under construction, including the Nanoscale Research Facility, the Pathogens Research Facility and the Biomedical Sciences Building.
UF is a national leader in alternative energy research, with strong programs in ethanol production, and nuclear and solar energy.
UF has strong research collaborations with Scripps Florida, the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the Moffitt Cancer Center.
The UF astronomy department is a world leader in the development of sophisticated devices that are mounted on some of the world’s largest telescopes to detect new planets and other objects.
UF is home to one of the world’s largest butterfly and moth collections, with more than 9 million specimens.
UF’s McKnight Brain Institute is home to more than 300 faculty using some of the world’s most powerful MRI imaging systems and other state-of-the-art tools to better understand the human brain and nervous system.
UF’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute is one of only 60 the National Institutes of Health is funding to speed the transformation of scientific discoveries into medical advances for patients.
UF’s Institute on Aging is home to one of only 10 Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers nationally and the leader of a $60 million study to determine whether physical activity can help older adults remain mobile.
UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute is a national model for using interdisciplinary research methods to identify, prevent and treat human, animal and plant pathogens.
Gatorade®, the world’s most popular sports drink, is just one of hundreds of commercial products resulting from UF research.
Economic Impact
UF is an economic powerhouse behind Florida’s economy.
UF’s annual economic impact exceeds $8.76 billion.
UF activities generate 100,000 statewide jobs, including more than 34,000 university employees and those employed by supporting businesses.
Sustainability Leadership
The University of Florida is committed to the responsible teachings and practices of environmental protection and social responsibility.
UF hosts a myriad of centers for environmental research, conservation, planning, design, policy, and law. Additionally, UF offers more than 110 courses related to sustainability, many college-level certificates in sustainability, a new Minor in Sustainability Studies, and a new Sustainability in the Built Environment major in the College of Design, Construction and Planning.
UF is home to the Water Institute, the Florida Institute of Sustainable Energy (FISE), and the Energy Technology Incubator. FISE enjoys the interdisciplinary efforts of more than 150 faculty in developing new technologies — from fuel cells, batteries, and solar cells to biofuels and nuclear power — in order to create a sustainable energy future for Florida and the world. In the last few years alone, UF’s Federal and State funded energy research exceeded $70 million.
UF President J. Bernard Machen was the first to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), committing UF to creating an action plan for becoming carbon neutral by 2025. By the end of 2008, more than 580 presidents had signed the commitment.
UF built the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certified building in the state of Florida and now houses 17 LEED certified buildings.
Service Mission and Cultural Impact
As a land-, sea- and space-grant institution, UF is dedicated to serving the interests of society.
UF’s world-class cultural and artistic venues, including the Florida Museum of Natural History, Harn Museum of Art, and Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, attract individuals from throughout the state and beyond.
The university’s statewide outreach includes Cooperative Extension Offices in each of the state’s 67 counties, and 13 Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Research and Education Centers throughout the state.
UF’s Health Science Center serves as the major referral center for patients in the southeastern U.S., and provides health and dental services in Gainesville and 11 other cities throughout the state.
Shands HealthCare includes seven hospitals: two academic medical centers, three community hospitals and two specialty hospitals. University of Florida physicians at Shands are an official medical provider for NASA, serving as the medical support team for every launch and landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
UF’s radio and television stations reach audiences from Jacksonville to Tampa and throughout north central Florida, providing news, sports, cultural and other programs often not available from other sources.
The university libraries form the largest information resource system in the state of Florida, containing more than 4 million volumes, 4.2 million microfilms and thousands of full-text electronic journals.
Athletics
UF’s athletic programs possess a rich tradition of excellence at the conference, national and international levels.
UF’s athletic victories include 20 national team championships, 188 SEC titles, and more than 200 individual national titles. In 2006, UF became the first university in collegiate history to earn both the national men’s basketball and football titles in the same year. The university again made history in April 2007 by winning a consecutive national title in men’s basketball. The Gators lead the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in team titles and Academic All-SEC recipients.
UF is the only university to appear in the NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) National All-Sports top-10 ranking for each of the past 26 years and has captured the SEC All-Sports Trophy 17 of the last 18 years.
Since 1968, 142 Gators and 13 Florida coaches have earned 90 medals (44 gold) while representing 34 countries in 11 Olympiads.
Since 2005, the University of Florida Athletic Association has contributed more than $17.3 million to UF’s academic endeavors.
Alumni
More than 330,000 alumni are located throughout the world. There are University of Florida graduates in all 50 states and in more than 135 countries, truly demonstrating that the Gator Nation is everywhere.
Famous alumni include John Atanasoff (inventor of the digital computer), Robert Cade (inventor of Gatorade®), Michael Connelly (best-selling mystery novelist), actress Faye Dunaway, actor Buddy Ebsen, Carl Hiaasen (columnist and novelist), Bob Graham (former US Senator and Florida Governor) and Forrest Sawyer (national broadcast journalist). UF alumni include at least nine prior governors of the State of Florida, two Nobel Prize winners, three NASA astronauts and dozens of athletes on both the professional and amateur level.
The University of Florida is in Gainesville. The Gator Nation is everywhere
The Gator Nation includes millions of people throughout the world - students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators, as well as sports fans and anyone who wishes to affiliate with the values and spirit of the University of Florida.