New College poised to lead as nation’s top liberal arts institution

Real education is measured in what students learn and achieve.

This Fall, U.S. News & World Report placed New College of Florida among the top 10 public liberal arts colleges in the nation and tied for first in Florida.

Just weeks earlier, Washington Monthly named New College the No. 1 public liberal arts college in America for the third straight year.

In our Fall 2025 class, SAT scores jumped 4.5% (1209 vs. 1157), ACT scores rose to 25, and the average GPA approached 4.0. Applications increased by 10%, while acceptance rates dropped below 65% for the first time in more than a decade — evidence of a more competitive, more selective institution. Graduate enrollment grew by 67%, led by surging programs in Applied Data Science and Marine Mammal Science.

For some, these numbers are news. For us, they are confirmation. New College has spent more than 60 years building an education rooted in freedom of thought, rigor of inquiry, and a close partnership between faculty and students. That foundation has not changed — and it will not change.

Our hallmarks endure: narrative evaluations instead of letter grades, contracts between students and faculty that empower accountability and ownership of learning, independent study projects that nurture creativity, and the senior thesis capstone that rivals graduate-level research. Add to that the unmatched faculty mentorship and outstanding career support our students receive, and you begin to see why New College stands apart.

This model is thriving.

Today’s incoming class is the strongest in a decade, and our enhanced selectivity reflects rising demand. Our partnership with Florida State University now opens even more study abroad opportunities for our students. Our shoreline campus — alive with athletics, research, debate, and the arts — has never been more beautiful or vibrant.

None of this happened by accident. It happened because New College students embraced the challenge. It happened because faculty doubled down on mentorship and discovery. It happened because our community — comprising trustees, alumni, donors, and neighbors — believed in the power of a true liberal arts education, developed an ambitious plan, and executed it.

As vice provost, I can promise this: the same distinctive education that has defined New College for six decades will guide us forward. The difference is that we are now poised to lead the nation again. Our goal is not just to be Florida’s Honors College, but to become the No. 1 liberal arts college in America.

This future is possible because our foundation is strong and our purpose is deliberate. At New College, students are not taught what to think — they are taught how to think.

We embrace our role as a marketplace of ideas, where the best arguments prevail in debate, not the loudest voices. And that is the kind of education America needs most.

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David Rancourt, Ph.D., is vice provost and VP of Admissions for New College of Florida.

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