Good Universities in FL?? (Miami, Tampa: medicine, price, move)

[tangerinepuddle]

Hi there,

Does anyone on this board know if the higher education system in FL is just as bad as elementary & high school systems? (I have heard and read that it is the pits). Has anyone gone to college and acheived master's or PhD in FL, particulary in the molecular biology field? Where I am currently at, they have a great graduate school for this, but do not offer it at any of the universities for undergrad - just general bio. Planning to go on to masters and PhD in genetics..and curious about the quality of education I would get there.

What is out-of state tuition like? What about in-state?

Thanks guys!

[Jareb]

The University of Florida is an excellent school. 43,000 students with schools of medicine,veterinary medicine etc. etc. VERY difficult to gain admission-very high standards. Univ of Miami is also excellent. Second tier right below would be Fl State, USF, UCF, FAU etc.

Welcome to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

[GR82BAGATOR]

That's funny you live in Portland, OR where I'd love to move after I graduate from the University of Florida. I agree with the above person UF is a great school and it is hard to gain admissions to certain programs, quite a few are limited access. If you go to UF's website you can read about all their programs and costs. I believe there is going to be a 5% tuition increase next year but from what I hear UF is still one the cheapest "great" universities around!

My opinion is that Florida has great universities just not such a great public school system, in certain areas. From what I have gathered on this site a lot of states leave much to be desired in the public school area. Good Luck in your search! Do you have family here or were you just going to move to attend college? Have you been to Florida or Gainesville before?

[MissShona]

University of Miami is not a bad school...but it's very expensive. I hear from a lot of students and alums....that it's not worth what you pay.

If you want to go to a public school here (like UF, UCF, FSU); you may as well wait a year and establish state residency. It will take 12 months from the date you get your license, bills established, and voter's registration. You'll save a ton of money. Do not....do not...start taking classes before establishing residency...because it's very difficult to change your residency status from out-of state to in-state once you've started.

[tangerinepuddle]

Originally Posted by GR82BAGATOR

That's funny you live in Portland, OR where I'd love to move after I graduate from the University of Florida. I agree with the above person UF is a great school and it is hard to gain admissions to certain programs, quite a few are limited access. If you go to UF's website you can read about all their programs and costs. I believe there is going to be a 5% tuition increase next year but from what I hear UF is still one the cheapest "great" universities around!

My opinion is that Florida has great universities just not such a great public school system, in certain areas. From what I have gathered on this site a lot of states leave much to be desired in the public school area. Good Luck in your search! Do you have family here or were you just going to move to attend college? Have you been to Florida or Gainesville before?

Yes, some family there. Yes, have visited, but its been a while. I love Portland, (been here for a little over year)(except for the grey skies) but none of the undergrad schools offer the specific major I want (unless I go to a private school for $40,000 a year. I think not.- which is VERY surprising since one of the grad schools here (OHSU) has an entire genetics program -

anyway, I was leaning more towards the University of S.Fla or FIT because of their proximity to the coasts-but academics def. need to be weighed. Isn't gainesville a bit far from the coast?

[GR82BAGATOR]

It's about 1 1/2 hours to Jax or St. Augustine Beach and about 2 1/2 hours to Daytona / Crescent Beach. It's not a bad drive to any of those either. USF is in Tampa so you are near the Gulf but I like the Atlantic ocean or the gulf in North Fl....but that's just my opinion. I would at least check out Gainesville. Good Luck!

[doggiebus]

The major schools FSU, UF, UCF, USF, UM, FIU, FAU are all good schools. Depending on your major some may better better than others.

I am not sure what tuition prices are today, but when I was in school a few years ago. A friend of mine was paying out of state tuition for her under graduate, and it was the same price a friend of mine paying in state tuition but for law school. So do like the other posters have said, make your residency first.

[afghan67]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

The major schools FSU, UF, UCF, USF, UM, FIU, FAU are all good schools. Depending on your major some may better better than others.

I am not sure what tuition prices are today, but when I was in school a few years ago. A friend of mine was paying out of state tuition for her under graduate, and it was the same price a friend of mine paying in state tuition but for law school. So do like the other posters have said, make your residency first.

If you want to have a good shot at being employed outside of the southeast United States, I would choose UF, USF or UM (in that order). Those schools are much stronger in the sciences than the rest of the Florida schools.

[gypsychic]

If you want to be near the beaches, USF in Tampa is the way to go - this is a great college, and getting better all the time. I don't think you could go wrong with this choice.

JMO

[sunrico90]

Check the following: Best Universities in Florida - Colleges and Universities in Florida - Top Ten Colleges or Universities in Florida

Best Colleges in Florida, Best Florida Universities, and Best Schools - SHG Resources