Forbes: UF a top-six public university employer

Forbes has named the University of Florida a top-10 employer among public universities, school officials announced Wednesday.

UF was named the sixth-ranked public university in Forbes' America's Best Large Employers list. Florida ranks on Forbes' as the 18th-best university in the country to work for, private or public.

However, UF is ranked by Forbes as the 242nd best-liked large employer out of 500 companies on the list, behind other public universities like the University of California, Irvine; University of California, San Diego; the universities of Virginia, Minnesota and Iowa and retailers like Ace Hardware and Hot Topic.

In partnership with Statista, a market research company, Forbes determined the best-liked large companies in 2019, according to the UF press release.

Ratings were based both on the opinions of those working within the organization itself as well as nominations from outside employers or organizations, the release said.

UF listed the following factors as beneficial for its nearly 15,000 workers:

• A desirable geographic location with access to more than 160 state parks, dozens of theme parks and hundreds of miles of ocean beaches;

• No income tax;

• Competitive health plans offered for a relatively low contribution percentage on the part of employees;

• A rapidly expanding campus designed with collaboration in mind;

• Robust city planning designed in close partnership with the university, and

• Warm weather

Dooley Noted