Education

U.S. News and World Report routinely names Florida the #1 Best State for Higher Education. More than 144,000 students attend one of the numerous, distinguished educational institutions in the Tampa Bay area.

• The University of South Florida is one of the newest members of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious group of the 71 leading research institutions in the United States and Canada. 
• According to 2025 Center for Accountability in Medicine’s Medical Excellence Index, USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is the #1 medical school in the nation.
• The University of Tampa is a private, four-year institution that has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the top tier in the category Regional Universities (South).
• Hillsborough College is one of the nation’s leading two-year institutions developing programs to most immediately respond to local workforce gaps.
• Florida Polytechnic University is the only state university in Florida dedicated exclusively to STEM education.
• St. Leo University has been ranked in the top 15% of universities nationally for military support, ranked 53 nationally by Military Times 2025 Best for Vets: Colleges.
• Ultimate Medical Academy, with more than 40,000 alumni, offers content-rich, interactive online courses to more than 15,000 students as well as hands-on training to hundreds of students.