In late August, the ‘Freedom in the 50 States’ project, started by the CATO Institute, released a report ranking states by a number of different metrics.
Florida placed 2nd overall, with pro-freedom policies in education, economics, and fiscal policy areas putting it over the top.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made Florida’s education and pro-freedom policies a core tenet of his re-election campaign.
Florida is also one of the top destinations for people fleeing liberal states like California and New York, ranking in the top five for net migration.
Florida’s education policies in both K-12 education and higher education have placed it at the top of another key metric: the most educated states.
The report, released by US News, looks at five different metrics; 2-year college graduation rate, 4-year college graduation rate, low debt at graduation, educational attainment, and tuition and fees.
DeSantis celebrated the news on Twitter on Tuesday, saying that Florida tries to “keep the cost of our public universities and colleges low so students can afford their education without incurring crippling debt.”
Florida is the #1 state for students to pursue higher education, and we keep the cost of our public universities and colleges low so students can afford their education without incurring crippling debt.https://t.co/mnejtjKrh9 pic.twitter.com/gWdKPNqybR
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 6, 2022
In four out of five metrics recorded by US News, Florida ranked in the top ten.
It was ranked best in the cost of Tuition and Fees, in part because Florida has made a point of keeping costs low at its public universities, resulting in the state ranking 7th for lowest student debt at graduation.
DeSantis presumably mentioned Florida’s high marks in higher education as part of a renewed conversation over student debt cancellation.
The issue has again been at the forefront due to Biden’s plan to cancel $10,000 in student debt for all students making under $125,000 a year and $20,000 in debt for Pell Grant recipients.
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DeSantis gave his thoughts on student debt cancellation late last night, saying, “A truck driver should not have to pay back a loan from somebody that got, like, a Ph.D. in gender studies. That’s not fair. That’s not right.”
WATCH: Ron DeSantis slams student loan debt cancellation by Democrats
"It's very unfair to have a truck driver have to pay back a loan from somebody that got, like, a PhD in gender studies. That's not fair, that's not right. pic.twitter.com/LCT6tdmYhY
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 25, 2022
Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is in jeopardy as Republicans announced plans to challenge it in the courts last week.
High education expert Mark Kantrowitz said, “Borrowers should apply for forgiveness and be cautiously optimistic,” as the plan is being challenged.
Additional stories you may want to read:
DeSantis Proudly Tweets New Report-Florida Ranks #1 in Economic Freedom
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