These Are FL's Most Liberal And Most Conservative Colleges

From progressive liberal arts campuses to faith-centered universities, Florida colleges run the full political spectrum.

A new set of 2026 rankings from Niche highlights the most liberal and most conservative schools in the state, based on student surveys.

Eckerd College in St. Petersburg was ranked the most liberal, while the Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola topped the list of the most conservative.

Niche’s rankings are based on self-reported student surveys of political leanings. For both lists, 80 percent of the weight comes from students reporting their personal political preferences, and 20 percent comes from students reporting the leanings of their campus community.

Most Liberal Colleges In Florida (2026)

1. Eckerd College, St. Petersburg — Overall Niche Grade: B-
2. University of South Florida, St. Petersburg — Overall Niche Grade: A-
3. University of Florida, Gainesville — Overall Niche Grade: A+
4. College of Central Florida, Ocala — Overall Niche Grade: C
5. University of Miami, Coral Gables — Overall Niche Grade: A+

Most Conservative Colleges In Florida (2026)

1. Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola — Not Graded
2. Southeastern University, Lakeland — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Santa Fe College, Gainesville — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Daytona State College, Daytona Beach — Overall Niche Grade: C+
5. State College of Florida - Manatee-Sarasota, Bradenton — Overall Niche Grade: C-

National rankings

Niche also released its 2026 rankings of the most liberal and conservative colleges in America.

Top five most liberal colleges in the U.S.:

1. American University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. University of Vermont (Burlington, VT) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
3. SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) — Overall Niche Grade: C
4. George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) — Overall Niche Grade: A
5. Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH) — Overall Niche Grade: B+

Top five most conservative colleges in the U.S.:

1. Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) — Overall Niche Grade: B+
2. Grove City College (Grove City, PA) — Overall Niche Grade: B-
3. Brigham Young University–Idaho (Rexburg, ID) — Overall Niche Grade: B
4. Colorado Christian University (Lakewood, CO) — Overall Niche Grade: B
5. Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) — Overall Niche Grade: B

See the full rankings at Niche.