Florida State University is ranked the No. 1 university in Florida for innovation and economic impact in TIME’S inaugural World’s Top Universities 2026 rankings.
The ranking highlights how effectively universities turn research into real-world results. It looks at things like patents, industry partnerships, commercialization and economic influence.
In this category, Florida State University places ahead of other Florida institutions and among the top universities nationally and worldwide.
In the innovation and economic impact category, FSU ranked:
No. 18 among U.S. public universities.
No. 35 among all U.S. universities, public and private.
No. 60 globally out of 500 institutions assessed.
TIME’s innovation and economic impact pillar measures how universities translate knowledge into practical outcomes. The ranking considers the strength and global reach of a university’s patents, the influence of its research and innovation activity, the extent to which graduates move into leadership roles at major companies, and a university’s role in expanding access to education through online and open programs. Together, these measures reflect how universities contribute to economic growth and technological progress.
In TIME’s overall global rankings, FSU ranked:
No. 195 among all universities, public and private, globally.
No. 40 among U.S. public universities.
No. 156 among public universities worldwide.
The TIME rankings were developed in partnership with Statista. Nearly 2,000 universities worldwide were evaluated, with the top 500 selected for inclusion.
The rankings are based on three weighted pillars:
Academic capacity and performance (60%), which includes faculty excellence, research output, citations and academic strength.
Innovation and economic impact (30%), which focuses on technology transfer, patents, commercialization, industry collaboration and economic contribution.
Global engagement (10%), which measures international collaboration, mobility and global visibility.
The full rankings and methodology are available at TIME.