<p>I am the parent of a UF freshman, and we think it is a great school. He is in the engineering program, and if that is your interest, there is really no contest between the two schools. UF’s engineering program consistently ranks very high nationally – in the 30’s or better, I believe. FSU’s engineering program is joint with FAMUs engineering program, and they have had some problems in recent years. (I’m not saying it’s a bad program, but it has had some financial struggles --also if you just look at rankings, UF’s engineering program is clearly much stronger – FSU fans, please don’t flay me – keep reading!)</p>
<p>However, we love FSU, too, and DS number 2 plans to attend FSU in three years. They have many wonderful programs, including probably the best fine arts programs in the state. It is located in a beautiful town and the weather is a bit milder than the more southerly parts of Florida. FSU is a highly ranked school – top tier – and I think it gets better every year. I will be proud to have DS2 attend there.</p>
<p>I think you have to look at the programs in your area of study at each school, and make a decision from there. Both are great schools.</p>