Florida’s public school revenue per student and spending per USD 1000 of personal income usually ranks in the bottom 25% of U.S. states. Average teacher salaries rank near the middle of U.S. states.

Florida public schools have consistently ranked in the bottom 25% of many national surveys and average test score rankings. It should be noted that many education surveys are not scientific, but do measure prestige. Governor Jeb Bush has been criticized by many Florida educators for a program that penalizes underperforming schools (as indicated by standardized tests, such as the FCAT) with fewer funding dollars. Major testing organizations frequently discount the use of state average test score rankings, or any average of scaled scores, as a valid metric (see psychometrics for more details on scaled test scores).

In 2000, Governor Bush and the state legislature acted to abolish the Board of Regents that governed the State University System of Florida. Instead, each public university is now controlled by its own Board of Trustees who are directly appointed by the governor. As is typical of executive-appointed government boards, the appointees so far have been overwhelmingly Republican. This has not been without controversy. [1] In 2002, Democratic Senator Bob Graham started a ballot referendum designed to revert to the Board of Regents system.

Colleges and universities
Barry University
Bethune-Cookman College
Brevard Community College
Broward Community College
Carlos Albizu University Miami campus
Clearwater Christian College
Eckerd College
Edward Waters College
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Flagler College
Florida AandM University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Christian College
Florida Community College at Jacksonville
Florida College
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida Memorial College
Florida Metropolitan University
Florida Southern College
Florida State University
Full Sail Real World Education
Heritage College and Heritage Institute
Hobe Sound Bible College
International College
International Fine Arts College
Jacksonville University
Jones College
Lake-Sumter Community College
Lynn University
New College of Florida
Northwood University
Nova Southeastern University
Okaloosa-Walton Community College
Palm Beach Atlantic College
Palm Beach Community College
Pensacola Junior College
Pensacola Christian College
Polk Community College
Ringling School of Art and Design
Rollins College
Saint John Vianney College Seminary
Saint Leo University
St. Petersburg College
St. Thomas University
Seminole Community College
South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary
Southeastern College of the Assemblies of God
Stetson University
Trinity College of Florida
Troy State University Florida Region
University of Central Florida
University of Florida
University of Miami
University of North Florida
University of South Florida
University of Tampa
University of West Florida
Valencia Comunity College
Warner Southern College
Webber College