New College of Florida Earns Record Princeton Review Distinctions for Faculty, Financial Aid, and Student Futures

SARASOTA, Fla. — New College of Florida received its strongest recognition to date from The Princeton Review, including national distinctions for its faculty, academic quality, financial aid, and its record of preparing students for successful futures. The college made these announcements on August 25, 2026.

This recognition matters to Sarasota residents because it highlights the academic strength and value offered by a local institution. The college's growing reputation and physical expansion contribute to the community's educational landscape and economic vitality.

The Princeton Review named New College to its Best 392 Colleges, Best in the South, and the 50 Colleges That Create Futures lists. New College ranked No. 2 nationally among Top Schools for Financial Aid and No. 24 among Best College Values. Student surveys, which form the basis of these ratings, gave New College faculty high marks: 95 for how interesting students find their professors and 95 for how accessible those professors are. The college also earned a 92 financial aid rating, an 88 academic rating, and an 87 admissions rating.

President Richard Corcoran addressed the results, stating, “The latest Princeton Review results tell a very different story from the political narrative often imposed on New College. Students describe a college defined by exceptional professors, academic strength, financial support, value and opportunity, not political activism nor ideological conformity.” Students did not place New College among the nation’s 25 most politically active colleges, despite national visibility.

This recognition arrives as the college completes the largest physical expansion in its history. The former USF Sarasota-Manatee campus is now New College’s North Campus, adding modern classroom, laboratory, library, and student life facilities to the college’s bayfront property. New residential capacity is also coming online.