Continued Multi-Year Decline in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
Independent alumni organization notes ranking decline follows years of governance turnover, athletics spending, and administrative costs
U.S. News & World Report released its 2027 "Best Colleges" rankings on September 22, 2026 and New College of Florida has fallen to No. 150 in the "National Liberal Arts Colleges" category. This represents a continued decline that began following the January 2023 restructuring of the college's Board of Trustees.
The No. 150 ranking marks the fifth consecutive year of decline since New College ranked No. 76 in 2023, the year before the new board's changes took full effect.
2023 No. 76
2024 No. 100
2025 No. 122
2026 No. 135
2027 No. 150
“As he has done many times in the past, Richard Corcoran has demonstrated his skill in cherry picking. He recently trumpeted select facts that seem to show that New College’s ranking is improving. In truth the College continues its downward spiral. New College's ranking has fallen from 76 to 150. At this point, alumni are saying that the College's governing board has a duty to react. For the million dollar compensation package Corcoran is receiving, Florida’s taxpayers are entitled to honesty, not window dressing,” said William Rosenberg, President of the Novo Collegian Alliance.
It is unfortunate, though perhaps unsurprising, that this decline has coincided with a period of significant change at the institution. Since 2023, New College has seen substantial turnover in faculty and staff, changes to admissions criteria and student demographics, and a new institutional emphasis on collegiate athletics—an area the college had not historically prioritized, and one that has required significant new investment in facilities, staffing, and recruitment. Meanwhile, the per-student cost of a New College degree has continued to rise, even as the institution's national standing has fallen.
The Novo Collegian Alliance has documented many of the underlying issues driving this decline in detail. Millions of dollars have been redirected toward athletics facilities and recruitment (an area New College never previously funded) while long-standing needs like student housing remain unresolved despite tens of millions of dollars in spending. Faculty departures, shifting admissions criteria, and repeated leadership turnover have further destabilized the institution during the very years its national ranking has fallen.
“This unidirectional and dramatic movement in the rankings over several years indicates the need for a response from the College's governing board,” added board member Ben Brown.
NCA will continue to track and report on these trends as part of its ongoing work documenting the transformation of New College since 2023.
U.S. News & World Report publishes each edition of "Best Colleges" in the September prior to the year by which they are designated. For example, U.S. News & World Report's 2027 "Best Colleges" was published this month, on September 22, 2026.