Miami-area institutions continue to show that South Florida is more than a sex-obsessed vacation destination. While South Florida’s relationship with the vices has been well-established — it was part of the attraction for Playboy’s headquarters relocation — its standing as a nationally recognized education hub is growing, with repeated rankings among the most prestigious schools in the U.S.
Following U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the best high schools in the nation, including four Miami-Dade County public schools, Washington Monthly recently released its 2025 rankings of the best colleges for your tuition (and tax) dollars in the nation, with Florida International University (FIU) in Miami coming in at No. 8.
The publication touts its list as a response to U.S. News & World Report, which it claims “relies on crude and easily manipulated measures of wealth, exclusivity, and prestige.” Washington Monthly ranks schools based on their contribution to the public good in four categories: access, affordability, outcomes, and promoting public service…