This week, the Florida Board of Governors will be presented with the results of an efficiency study of the state’s public universities.  

The Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) analysis, which is on the agenda for Thursday’s Board of Governors meeting at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, looks closely at the operations and spending histories of Florida’s 12 public universities, including the University of Florida. 

In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the creation of the Florida DOGE task force to review and eliminate waste in state and local government spending – an initiative similar to the one created by the Trump administration in January to bring accountability and transparency to federal spending.  

Part of the state’s DOGE task force responsibilities was to examine college and university spending and make suggestions to the Board of Governors and State Board of Education to eliminate wasteful spending.  

During a Wednesday press conference at USF, Ben Watkins, director of Florida’s Division of Bond Finance, said the efficiency study uses data from three sources: “audited financial statements, student data and personnel information from the universities to calculate ratios or performance metrics related to efficiency and productivity.” 

“The efficiency study is simply an analytical approach to reviewing university operations from a financial management perspective,” he said. “It’s not rocket science. It can be easily done and should be done.” 

The report shows that from 2016-2024, in-state public university tuition costs in Florida stayed around $6,360, making it the lowest in the nation.  

The low in-state tuition costs were among the academic achievements praised by DeSantis during a visit to UF in September.  

“Florida has the best system for higher education in the country by delivering high-quality education to students at the lowest cost…” Watkins said at the press conference. “That’s a remarkable accomplishment and something to be proud of.” 

While tuition costs have stayed relatively low, operating expenses per student have increased from roughly $17,000 a year to more than $22,000 a year over the last seven years, according to the study. 

The report states that the rise in operating expense per student is “primarily driven by increases in payroll or labor costs.” 

The study also shows that New College of Florida in Sarasota had the highest operating expenses per student among universities in fiscal year 2024 at $83,207. UF was behind New College at $45,765. 

The report states that operating expenses per student are calculated “by dividing operating expenses for each university by its student enrollment.” 

“There is a wide disparity in operating expenses per student among universities reflecting different levels of efficiency,” the study said.  

New College also had the highest operating expenses per degree at $494,715, according to the report. The next highest was UF at $150,729. 

Out of the 12 public universities, UF generated the most revenue from research in fiscal year 2024, with a little over $2 billion, according to the study. 

The report states that UF’s dominance reflects an “emphasis on pursuing research grants and funding.” 

To see the full efficiency study, click here.  

The Board of Governors meeting will be held at the USF Morsani College of Medicine (560 Channelside Dr., Tampa).  

More information on the meeting can be found here.  

Nick Anschultz is a Report for America corps member and writes about education for Mainstreet Daily News. This position is supported by local donations through the Community Catalyst for Local Journalism Fund at the Community Foundation of North Central Florida. 

Editor’s note: UF generated over $2 billion, not $2 million, in research revenue in fiscal year 2024.