It is with great Panther Pride that I share FIU’s recent momentous accomplishment, notching the No. 46 spot on the list of top public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report. Plus, we are now No. 98 among all universities, public and private, in the nation.
The accomplishment represents a goal FIU set for itself just four years ago when it strategically set its sights on reaching the Top 50 by 2025. Well, we did it! And we did it a year ahead of plan.
FIU has risen faster than any other university over the past 10 years in both the U.S. News public national rankings (moving up 84 spots) and overall national rankings (120 spots). Since last year, our institution has climbed 18 spots among public universities and 26 spots overall.
And so, it has me thinking: What has powered this historic chapter of growth here at FIU?
Propelling Our Success
FIU owes its success to its excellent students, faculty members, staff, alumni, university leaders, and our valued industry partners. It also goes without saying that the state of Florida, local leaders, and the community we serve has been instrumental in getting us here through their unwavering support.
Today, however, I want to shine a light on one major key to success that I see working full-time at our College of Engineering and Computing. It’s a force we FIU staff and faculty members see all over our university.
It’s the way our graduates are using their degrees to thrive in their careers and move up the economic ladder.
The numbers don’t lie. Both the ‘quality’ and ‘quantity’ of our graduates are among the best in the nation. Did you know that our college has graduated nearly 11,000 in the last five years, positioning FIU among the Top 30 public institutions nationwide for most engineering and computing graduates?
Our students are go-getters. This special attribute isn’t just a metric. It’s a part of our culture.
Spotlight: ShellHacks 2024
If you weren’t already aware, allow me to tell you about ShellHacks 2024. ShellHacks is a hackathon established in 2017 by FIU students that today has grown into the largest hackathon in Florida. Run now by INIT FIU, a non-profit organization consisting of hundreds of our students and alums, the hackathon’s goal is to increase tech skills, build bridges in industry, and create an impactful and fun experience for all who code through the 36-hour event.
Events like this show how students have a habit of going ‘above and beyond’. This year, ShellHacks drew more than 1,400 hackers to the university to up their tech skills. They had the opportunity to network with recruiters from Fortune 500 companies and learn from other top young talent in the Miami Tech scene, all at little to no cost to the participants. Running the show behind the scenes were numerous FIU College of Engineering and Computing alums, proud to give back to the community that helped them get ahead.
Our students even took time away from coding at ShellHacks to give tips to students from other universities looking to get ahead in their next hackathons. Now that’s giving above and beyond!
Looking Toward a Bright Future
These days, our special gift of having students and graduates who go the extra mile is becoming less of a secret. It’s part of the reason why, in the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges 2025 rankings, our university tied for No. 1 in the nation for social mobility, a ranking that measures the ability of graduates to use their degrees to launch careers and move up the economic ladder.
It’s one thing to take advantage of an opportunity. It’s another thing to create opportunities that take the world by storm. Our graduates’ success is one of the many things that makes me proud to be leading the College of Engineering and Computing during this special period. I look forward to staying connected with you as we explore what makes Miami’s public research university stand out.
Inés R. Triay
Interim Dean, FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing