Public Universities Chase Excellence, at a Price

GAINESVILLE, Fla. � If there is any goal that the University of Florida has pursued as fervently as a national football championship for the Gators, it is a place among the nation�s highest-ranked public universities.

ââ?¬Å?We need a top-10 university, so our kids can get the same education they would get at Harvard or Yale,ââ?¬Â said J. Bernard Machen, the university president.