Six University of California campuses ranked among the top 10 public universities in the United States, with UC Berkeley and UCLA tying for first place and all nine UC undergraduate campuses in the top 45, according to the 2022-23 Best Colleges rankings, published today (Sept. 12) by U.S. News & World Report.
All of UC’s nine undergraduate campuses were also ranked in the top 100 of all national universities, public or private.
It’s the third year in a row that all of UC’s undergraduate campuses have placed in the top 100, a particularly notable milestone for UC Merced, which is the system’s youngest campus at less than 20 years old.
U.S. News also evaluated colleges on social mobility, a metric that assessed graduation rates among lower-income students, ranking six UC campuses in the top 30 nationally and all UC campuses among the top 25 percent of schools, public or private.
“The University of California continues to maintain our record of leadership in higher education. These rankings demonstrate the value and impact of our world-renowned excellence in teaching, research, and our demonstrated commitment to inclusiveness,” said UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D., upon the list’s release. “I applaud all of our campuses for their outstanding work in maintaining the University’s long-standing tradition of excellence and for continuing to ensure access to an affordable education for all students.”
| Campus | Public rank | National rank |
| UC Berkeley | 1 | 20 |
| UCLA | 1 | 20 |
| UC Santa Barbara | 7 | 32 |
| UC Irvine | 8 | 34 |
| UC San Diego | 8 | 34 |
| UC Davis | 10 | 38 |
| UC Santa Cruz | 35 | 83 |
| UC Riverside | 38 | 89 |
| UC Merced | 42 | 97 |
More than half of the top 10 public schools were University of California campuses this year: the aforementioned UC Berkeley and UCLA both ranked No. 1, with UC Santa Barbara at No. 7, UC Irvine and UC San Diego tied for No. 8 and UC Davis at No. 10 rounding out the list. UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 35, UC Riverside No. 38 and UC Merced as No. 42 among public universities.
Among all national universities, public or private, UC also did extremely well, with UC Berkeley and UCLA tied for No. 20, UC Santa Barbara at No. 32, UC Irvine and UC San Diego tied for No. 34, and UC Davis at No. 38. UC Santa Cruz ranked No. 83 among national universities, with UC Riverside at No. 89 and UC Merced at No. 97.
Each fall, U.S. News & World Report releases its annual Best Colleges rankings, which evaluate bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities across the United States. This edition, its 38th, assessed an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor's degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality. These measures include graduation and retention rates, academic reputation, student-faculty ratio, and social mobility, which is assessed by evaluating the graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients.
For the third straight year, the magazine also assessed graduate indebtedness as part of its Best Colleges criteria. 55 percent of UC’s California undergraduates have their tuition and fees fully covered through federal, state and UC-funded financial aid programs.
In addition to its overall rankings, U.S. News also publishes rankings dedicated to specific measures or demographics. The magazine assessed its ranked universities, public and private, on social mobility for the fourth straight year. This Best Colleges for Social Mobility ranking measures a school’s ability to graduate Pell Grant recipients, typically students from families who earn less than $50,000, though most Pell Grant money goes to families who earn less than $20,000 annually.
UC campuses scored extremely well on social mobility, with six campuses in the top 30. UC Riverside ranked second in the nation, with UC Merced at No. 5 and UC Irvine at No. 7. UC Santa Barbara ranked No. 15, UC Santa Cruz No. 18 and UC Davis at No. 27. UCLA ranked No. 46 in this assessment, UC San Diego was No. 53 and UC Berkeley was No. 105.
Among the Best Colleges for Veterans, UC had six colleges ranked among the top 20 of all universities, public or private. UC Berkeley and UCLA were tied for No. 7, UC Santa Barbara ranked No. 14, UC Irvine and UC San Diego tied for No. 15, and UC Davis ranked No. 18. UC Santa Cruz ranked at No. 51 and UC Riverside ranked at No. 56. For this list, U.S. News assesses a campus’s G.I. Bill certification, 2023 Best Colleges ranking, and enrollment of full- and part-time undergraduate veterans and undergraduate active service members.
The University of California system has performed strongly across multiple other rankings year after year. UC recently shined this year in assessments from The Princeton Review and the Academic Ranking of World Universities, as well as Forbes and Washington Monthly. UC hospitals also led the state and nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2022-2023 Best Hospitals ranking.
