Real estate, RMI lead rise in undergraduate business rankings

Graphic by Tony Watts Jr./College of Business. Click to enlarge

Securing two No. 4 spots among public schools for its undergraduate studies in real estate and risk management and insurance (RMI), the Florida State University College of Business continues its climb in national rankings released today by U.S. News & World Report. 

FSU jumped to No. 31 among all undergraduate business programs at public schools on U.S. News’ 2025 Best Colleges Rankings list, up seven spots from No. 38 last year. Among all undergraduate business programs public or private, FSU ranked No. 53, up nine places from No. 62 previously. The newest standings earn FSU the No. 2 position among all undergraduate business programs at Florida’s state universities.

“Every day we focus on equipping new generations of business leaders with the sound financial, technical and soft skills they need to make an immediate, positive impact in their chosen careers,” said Michael Hartline, dean of the FSU College of Business. “The success of enrolled students and future graduates is our primary goal, so we are always encouraged when new rankings reflect our high standards and growing preeminence.”

Leading the way upward:

• The Real Estate Program secured a new high standing of No. 4 among the nation’s public undergraduate programs, up from No. 6 last year. Among all real estate programs, FSU ranks No. 7, up from No. 9.
• The Dr. William T. Hold/The Alliance’s Program in Risk Management and Insurance maintained its No. 4 status among the nation’s top public RMI programs, as well as all RMI programs, public and private. 
• The Accounting Program returned to Top 25 status among undergraduate programs at public schools nationwide. FSU rose to No. 25 from No. 31 among all public accounting programs and No. 56 overall, up from No. 65 last year.

U.S. News’ ranking list of the nation’s best undergraduate business programs is based solely on ratings provided by deans and senior faculty members at peer schools. Surveys go out to the leadership of more than 500 business schools that have earned accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).  

FSU’s exemplary undergraduate business results kick off a promising new rankings year for the college, which consistently ranks among the Top 20 nationwide for its online graduate programs, specifically its Master of Business Administration (MBA) and specialty master’s programs in Management Information Systems (MS-MIS) and Risk Management and Insurance (MS-RMI).

About the FSU College of Business

Founded in 1950, the FSU College of Business is one of the largest in the nation and growing, averaging an annual increase of 4% in undergraduate enrollment over the last five years. FSU enrolls more than 6,000 undergraduate business students each year, and more than 8,000 students across campus took at least one business course last calendar year. About 95% of FSU business freshmen return for their sophomore year, and eight out of 10 first-time-in-college business students graduate in four years. 

-- Melanie Yeager