# New anti-elitist college rankings put Universities of Texas, Florida on top — in shock result

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/new-anti-elitist-college-rankings-put-universities-of-texas-florida-on-top-in-shock-result/
- Published: 2026-11-14T13:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-14T13:18:32+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/14/opinion/manhattan-institute-places-public-universities-not-ivies-on-top-in-new-rankings/
- Topics: World

## Key points

- Texas and Florida top a new Manhattan Institute ranking.
- The system weighs student experience and value, not prestige.
- Public universities tend to rank well; small liberal arts colleges fare poorly.

## Summary

The Manhattan Institute has published college rankings that place the University of Texas at Austin first and the University of Florida second, with Notre Dame third. The think tank says its system is intended to assess students’ likely experience and the value of their education, rather than reward institutions for longstanding prestige.

The rankings assess 115 schools using 95 variables across educational experience, student life, student outcomes and governance. They emphasise return on investment, civic education, viewpoint diversity and free speech, while excluding measures such as admissions rates; Smith and Oberlin rank last. The results differ sharply from US News rankings, where Texas and Florida are tied 34th, and the article notes that lower in-state tuition can help public universities score well.

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