The University of South Florida (USF) ranked No. 35 on Newsweek's America's Top Online Colleges 2026 list, published Nov. 5, 2025. USF received a five-star award on the list, which included 250 institutions nationwide.


USF ranked No. 95 on the 2027 list, down from No. 35 in 2026. Newsweek published a newer edition, America's Top Online Colleges 2027, on Nov. 12, 2026.

USF operates campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee after consolidating its three formerly separate institutions into one university on July 1, 2020, according to USF's published history. The St. Petersburg campus puts USF within reach of Palm Harbor and Dunedin residents pursuing online degrees.

The 2026 online colleges ranking was developed by Newsweek in partnership with Statista, a data and industry analysis firm, according to a Cornerstone University summary of the methodology. The list drew on a survey of more than 10,000 online learners and evaluated schools on satisfaction, support, cost, reputation and other factors.